Forgery in Monroe County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Monroe County, we compared 24 Forgery cases with public defenders against 33 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
24 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
33 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 24 33 1
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 87.5% 72.7% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 79.2% 48.5% 0.0%
Adjudication Withheld 8.3% 24.2% 100.0%
Diversion Rate 12.5% 27.3% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 6.3 months 1 year 15 days
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 4.6 years 4.1 years 1.0 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 Forgery is 1.0% with public defenders and 0.6% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Monroe County's 0.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Monroe County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 482 0.4% 2,653 0.5%
Other 402 1.0% 1,851 2.4%
Drug Possession 506 2.4% 1,077 0.7%
Trespassing 359 0.3% 460 0.2%
Resisting Officer 252 0.4% 519 0.8%
DUI 185 2.2% 567 2.5%
Larceny / Theft 252 0.8% 428 0.9%
Battery 174 0.0% 452 1.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Monroe County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Forgery compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 57 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Forgery in Monroe County is 87.5% with a public defender and 72.7% 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. Monroe 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 · 57 cases analyzed · Monroe County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026