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

In Polk County, we compared 215 Hit and Run cases with public defenders against 141 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.5%
PD Dismissal Rate
215 cases
0.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
141 cases
+0.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Hit and Run in Polk 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 215 141 578
Dismissal Rate 0.5% 0.7% 0.2%
Conviction Rate 96.7% 91.5% 88.6%
Guilty Rate 74.4% 64.5% 51.9%
Adjudication Withheld 22.3% 27.0% 36.7%
Diversion Rate 0.5% 4.3% 10.7%
Avg Sentence 9.4 months 1 year, 12 months 1 year
Avg Fine $134.62 $117.29 $127.76
Avg Probation 1 year, 1 months 11.0 months 9.5 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). Polk County's 0.2 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Polk County 0.5% 0.7% +0.2 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.7% 0.9% -0.8 pts

Other Charges in Polk County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 5,606 0.1% 2,094 0.0%
Traffic Offense 2,995 0.4% 1,336 0.2%
Larceny / Theft 2,316 0.9% 989 0.1%
Resisting Officer 2,052 1.6% 797 0.3%
Battery 1,765 2.2% 823 0.4%
Other 1,332 8.8% 803 1.6%
Trespassing 1,222 6.3% 304 0.0%
DUI 699 1.6% 641 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Polk County, private attorney clients have a 0.7% dismissal rate for Hit and Run compared to 0.5% for public defender clients. This is a 0.2 percentage point difference based on 356 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Hit and Run in Polk County is 96.7% with a public defender and 91.5% 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. Polk County's difference of 0.2 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 · 356 cases analyzed · Polk County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026