Hit and Run in Alachua County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Alachua County, we compared 89 Hit and Run cases with public defenders against 33 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
89 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
33 cases
-1.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 89 33 34
Dismissal Rate 1.1% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 97.8% 93.9% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 65.2% 48.5% 23.5%
Adjudication Withheld 32.6% 45.5% 76.5%
Diversion Rate 1.1% 6.1% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 3 months 2.2 years 8 days
Avg Fine $201.96 $315.24 $137.50
Avg Probation 1 year, 7 months 1 year, 12 months 6.1 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 Hit and Run is 1.7% with public defenders and 0.9% with private attorneys (-0.8 point difference). Alachua County's -1.1 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Alachua County 1.1% 0.0% -1.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.7% 0.9% -0.8 pts

Other Charges in Alachua County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 1,044 0.0% 292 0.0%
Battery 970 2.0% 130 2.3%
Larceny / Theft 978 0.7% 76 2.6%
Drug Possession 985 0.2% 67 0.0%
Trespassing 567 1.8% 35 0.0%
DUI 369 0.8% 156 0.0%
Other 410 2.4% 77 0.0%
Resisting Officer 346 1.2% 40 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Alachua County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Hit and Run compared to 1.1% for public defender clients. This is a -1.1 percentage point difference based on 122 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Hit and Run in Alachua County is 97.8% with a public defender and 93.9% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.7% for public defenders and 0.9% for private attorneys. Alachua County's difference of -1.1 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.8 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 · 122 cases analyzed · Alachua County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026