Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Forgery in Florida?

We compared 1,645 Forgery cases with public defenders against 1,377 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,645 cases
0.6%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,377 cases
-0.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Forgery charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,645 1,377 396
Dismissal Rate 1.0% 0.6% 3.8%
Conviction Rate 85.0% 69.1% 73.2%
Guilty Rate 62.2% 47.1% 44.2%
Adjudication Withheld 22.7% 22.0% 29.0%
Diversion Rate 12.7% 30.0% 22.2%
Avg Sentence 12.0 months 1 year, 6 months 1 year, 2 months
Avg Fine $594.26 $563.60 $275.81
Avg Probation 2.5 years 3.2 years 2.5 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+ Forgery cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 207 0.5% 415 0.2% -0.3 pts
Miami-Dade 120 0.8% 263 0.4% -0.4 pts
Leon 107 1.9% 99 1.0% -0.9 pts
Palm Beach 84 1.2% 94 1.1% -0.1 pts
Duval 103 0.0% 52 1.9% +1.9 pts
Pasco 92 0.0% 58 0.0% 0.0 pts
Volusia 118 0.8% 30 3.3% +2.5 pts
Lake 69 0.0% 47 0.0% 0.0 pts
Orange 71 4.2% 43 0.0% -4.2 pts
Polk 48 0.0% 24 0.0% 0.0 pts
Monroe 24 0.0% 33 0.0% 0.0 pts
Bay 34 0.0% 20 0.0% 0.0 pts
Alachua 20 0.0% 22 0.0% 0.0 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 3,022 Forgery cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 0.6% dismissal rate compared to 1.0% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Forgery in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 85.0% with a public defender and 69.1% with a private attorney.
For Forgery cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 12.0 months with a public defender and 1 year, 6 months with a private attorney. Average fines are $594.26 (PD) vs $563.60 (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 · 3,022 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026