Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Hit and Run in Florida?

We compared 5,098 Hit and Run cases with public defenders against 6,340 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.8 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
5,098 cases
0.9%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
6,340 cases
-0.8 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Hit and Run charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 5,098 6,340 5,507
Dismissal Rate 1.7% 0.9% 1.6%
Conviction Rate 87.0% 79.1% 89.1%
Guilty Rate 61.4% 37.6% 46.5%
Adjudication Withheld 25.6% 41.5% 42.6%
Diversion Rate 10.3% 19.2% 9.1%
Avg Sentence 9.4 months 1 year, 5 months 8.9 months
Avg Fine $252.09 $481.62 $160.68
Avg Probation 1 year, 6 months 1 year, 9 months 10.0 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. 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+ Hit and Run cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Palm Beach 663 0.9% 1,151 0.3% -0.6 pts
Hillsborough 424 1.7% 1,361 0.8% -0.9 pts
Duval 350 2.0% 620 0.6% -1.4 pts
Orange 435 4.4% 417 5.5% +1.1 pts
Pasco 310 1.0% 250 0.0% -1.0 pts
Volusia 332 3.3% 215 0.0% -3.3 pts
Miami-Dade 210 0.5% 270 0.0% -0.5 pts
Manatee 191 1.0% 176 1.7% +0.7 pts
Polk 215 0.5% 141 0.7% +0.2 pts
Leon 216 0.9% 108 0.9% 0.0 pts
Seminole 148 6.8% 164 0.6% -6.2 pts
Lake 168 3.0% 133 0.0% -3.0 pts
Collier 85 0.0% 203 0.0% 0.0 pts
St. Johns 102 2.9% 154 1.3% -1.6 pts
Martin 110 0.0% 127 1.6% +1.6 pts
Marion 148 0.0% 58 0.0% 0.0 pts
Okaloosa 77 0.0% 93 5.4% +5.4 pts
Monroe 35 0.0% 114 0.0% 0.0 pts
St. Lucie 70 1.4% 79 0.0% -1.4 pts
Alachua 89 1.1% 33 0.0% -1.1 pts
Bay 82 1.2% 20 5.0% +3.8 pts
Santa Rosa 44 0.0% 39 0.0% 0.0 pts
Citrus 53 0.0% 24 0.0% 0.0 pts
Lee 40 0.0% 37 0.0% 0.0 pts
Walton 39 5.1% 38 0.0% -5.1 pts
Osceola 53 1.9% 21 0.0% -1.9 pts
Sumter 23 0.0% 30 3.3% +3.3 pts
Brevard 21 0.0% 24 4.2% +4.2 pts
Hendry 22 0.0% 21 0.0% 0.0 pts

Facing Hit and Run Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 11,438 Hit and Run cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 0.9% dismissal rate compared to 1.7% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Hit and Run in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 87.0% with a public defender and 79.1% with a private attorney.
For Hit and Run cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 9.4 months with a public defender and 1 year, 5 months with a private attorney. Average fines are $252.09 (PD) vs $481.62 (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 · 11,438 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026