Forgery in Duval County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Duval County, we compared 103 Forgery cases with public defenders against 52 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
103 cases
1.9%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
52 cases
+1.9 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Forgery in Duval 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 103 52 57
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 1.9% 10.5%
Conviction Rate 99.0% 98.1% 89.5%
Guilty Rate 70.9% 69.2% 35.1%
Adjudication Withheld 28.2% 28.8% 54.4%
Diversion Rate 1.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 9.7 months 2.2 years 8 days
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $96.36
Avg Probation 1 year, 9 months 1 year, 5 months 0 days

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 Forgery is 1.0% with public defenders and 0.6% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Duval County's 1.9 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Duval County 0.0% 1.9% +1.9 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.0% 0.6% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Duval County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 10,372 0.1% 3,439 0.1%
Traffic Offense 3,850 2.4% 5,588 0.6%
Other 4,645 0.2% 1,460 0.3%
Larceny / Theft 4,355 0.2% 1,213 0.0%
Battery 4,027 0.5% 1,301 0.2%
Resisting Officer 3,265 0.2% 987 0.2%
DUI 1,891 0.3% 1,500 0.3%
Trespassing 2,023 0.3% 309 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Duval County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Forgery cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Duval County, private attorney clients have a 1.9% dismissal rate for Forgery compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 1.9 percentage point difference based on 155 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Forgery in Duval County is 99.0% with a public defender and 98.1% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.0% for public defenders and 0.6% for private attorneys. Duval County's difference of 1.9 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 · 155 cases analyzed · Duval County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026