DUI in Pinellas County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Pinellas County, we compared 275 DUI cases with public defenders against 279 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
275 cases
0.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
279 cases
+0.7 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate for DUI in Pinellas County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 275 279 7,166
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.7% 0.8%
Conviction Rate 94.9% 98.2% 98.2%
Guilty Rate 94.2% 97.8% 97.8%
Adjudication Withheld 0.7% 0.4% 0.4%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.9 months 3.1 months 3.3 months
Avg Fine $1,066 $1,225 $1,170
Avg Probation 1 year, 1 months 1 year, 1 months 1 year

Important context: Correlation is not causation. Private attorney clients may differ from public defender clients in income, prior criminal history, charge severity, and willingness to go to trial. These factors independently affect outcomes. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for DUI is 1.3% with public defenders and 0.9% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Pinellas County's 0.7 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Pinellas County 0.0% 0.7% +0.7 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 0.9% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Pinellas County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,043 0.0% 405 0.0%
Battery 423 0.5% 174 0.6%
Traffic Offense 192 0.0% 208 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 234 0.0% 123 2.4%
Other 137 0.0% 117 0.0%
Resisting Officer 146 0.0% 68 0.0%
Sex Offense 105 2.9% 102 0.0%
Fraud 123 0.0% 78 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Pinellas County, private attorney clients have a 0.7% dismissal rate for DUI compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.7 percentage point difference based on 554 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for DUI in Pinellas County is 94.9% with a public defender and 98.2% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.3% for public defenders and 0.9% for private attorneys. Pinellas County's difference of 0.7 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.4 points.

Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: March 2026

Important: Differences in outcomes between public defenders and private attorneys may reflect differences in case complexity, defendant resources, charge severity, and other factors — not solely attorney quality. These statistics do not predict individual case outcomes.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 554 cases analyzed · Pinellas County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026