DUI in Suwannee County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Suwannee County, we compared 73 DUI cases with public defenders against 21 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
73 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
21 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 73 21 6
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 98.6% 100.0% 100.0%
Adjudication Withheld 1.4% 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.5 months 4.0 months 0 days
Avg Fine $1,083 $916.05 $1,033
Avg Probation 1 year, 4 months 11.8 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). Suwannee County's 0.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Suwannee County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 401 0.0% 111 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Suwannee County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for DUI compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 94 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for DUI in Suwannee County is 100.0% with a public defender and 100.0% 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. Suwannee County's difference of 0.0 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 · 94 cases analyzed · Suwannee County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026