Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Embezzlement in Florida?

We compared 57 Embezzlement cases with public defenders against 91 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.8 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.8%
PD Dismissal Rate
57 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
91 cases
-1.8 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Embezzlement charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 57 91 4
Dismissal Rate 1.8% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 93.0% 83.5% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 71.9% 71.4% 100.0%
Adjudication Withheld 21.1% 12.1% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 5.3% 16.5% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 11 months 2.6 years 0 days
Avg Fine $342.86 $356.50 $0.00
Avg Probation 3.0 years 8.1 years 3.4 years

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. Public defenders carry heavier caseloads but have deep institutional knowledge of local courts. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

County-by-County Breakdown

Counties where both public defenders and private attorneys handled 20+ Embezzlement cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 39 0.0% 62 0.0% 0.0 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 148 Embezzlement cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate compared to 1.8% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Embezzlement in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 93.0% with a public defender and 83.5% with a private attorney.
For Embezzlement cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 11 months with a public defender and 2.6 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $342.86 (PD) vs $356.50 (private).

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 · 148 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026