Fraud in Walton County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Walton County, we compared 55 Fraud cases with public defenders against 23 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

7.3%
PD Dismissal Rate
55 cases
4.3%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
23 cases
-3.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 55 23 9
Dismissal Rate 7.3% 4.3% 11.1%
Conviction Rate 83.6% 43.5% 66.7%
Guilty Rate 70.9% 17.4% 55.6%
Adjudication Withheld 12.7% 26.1% 11.1%
Diversion Rate 9.1% 52.2% 22.2%
Avg Sentence 7.7 months 2.0 years 0 days
Avg Fine $310.39 $309.09 $25.00
Avg Probation 2.4 years 2.7 years 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 Fraud is 1.3% with public defenders and 1.1% with private attorneys (-0.2 point difference). Walton County's -3.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Walton County 7.3% 4.3% -3.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.3% 1.1% -0.2 pts

Other Charges in Walton County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 680 0.6% 254 1.6%
Drug Possession 677 5.6% 55 9.1%
DUI 226 2.7% 228 0.9%
Battery 290 6.9% 96 2.1%
Larceny / Theft 262 3.1% 42 2.4%
Other 175 11.4% 105 5.7%
Burglary 154 8.4% 17 17.6%
Resisting Officer 113 4.4% 25 12.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Walton County, private attorney clients have a 4.3% dismissal rate for Fraud compared to 7.3% for public defender clients. This is a -3.0 percentage point difference based on 78 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Fraud in Walton County is 83.6% with a public defender and 43.5% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.3% for public defenders and 1.1% for private attorneys. Walton County's difference of -3.0 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.2 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 · 78 cases analyzed · Walton County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026