DUI in Santa Rosa County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Santa Rosa County, we compared 424 DUI cases with public defenders against 380 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.9%
PD Dismissal Rate
424 cases
2.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
380 cases
+1.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate for DUI in Santa Rosa 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 424 380 151
Dismissal Rate 0.9% 2.1% 2.6%
Conviction Rate 97.4% 92.9% 97.4%
Guilty Rate 97.4% 92.9% 97.4%
Adjudication Withheld 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.5% 1.6% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.9 months 1.9 months 3.0 months
Avg Fine $881.45 $941.84 $848.80
Avg Probation 1 year 1 year 0 year, 12 months

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). Santa Rosa County's 1.2 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Santa Rosa County 0.9% 2.1% +1.2 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 0.9% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Santa Rosa County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,200 0.4% 169 0.0%
Traffic Offense 689 0.6% 468 0.6%
Battery 698 0.6% 143 1.4%
Larceny / Theft 628 0.0% 171 0.6%
Other 311 1.9% 86 5.8%
Resisting Officer 240 1.7% 54 1.9%
Trespassing 211 0.0% 19 0.0%
Contempt of Court 153 0.7% 32 3.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Santa Rosa County, private attorney clients have a 2.1% dismissal rate for DUI compared to 0.9% for public defender clients. This is a 1.2 percentage point difference based on 804 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for DUI in Santa Rosa County is 97.4% with a public defender and 92.9% 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. Santa Rosa County's difference of 1.2 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 · 804 cases analyzed · Santa Rosa County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026