Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Homicide in Florida?

We compared 1,814 Homicide cases with public defenders against 2,005 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.5%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,814 cases
1.9%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
2,005 cases
-0.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Homicide charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,814 2,005 325
Dismissal Rate 2.5% 1.9% 2.2%
Conviction Rate 82.6% 87.5% 88.3%
Guilty Rate 80.0% 85.1% 88.3%
Adjudication Withheld 2.6% 2.4% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.1% 0.2% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 33.6 years 26.9 years 90.6 years
Avg Fine $910.10 $968.02 $370.33
Avg Probation 6.4 years 6.6 years 6.4 years

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+ Homicide cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Miami-Dade 370 2.4% 408 3.4% +1.0 pts
Duval 194 1.0% 421 0.0% -1.0 pts
Hillsborough 111 1.8% 304 2.6% +0.8 pts
Palm Beach 147 3.4% 210 3.3% -0.1 pts
Orange 137 5.1% 116 3.4% -1.7 pts
Volusia 74 2.7% 77 1.3% -1.4 pts
Pasco 63 3.2% 54 0.0% -3.2 pts
Leon 36 11.1% 75 4.0% -7.1 pts
Polk 56 1.8% 40 0.0% -1.8 pts
Pinellas 62 1.6% 20 0.0% -1.6 pts
Seminole 54 0.0% 24 0.0% 0.0 pts
Lake 22 0.0% 26 0.0% 0.0 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 3,819 Homicide cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.9% dismissal rate compared to 2.5% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Homicide in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 82.6% with a public defender and 87.5% with a private attorney.
For Homicide cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 33.6 years with a public defender and 26.9 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $910.10 (PD) vs $968.02 (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 · 3,819 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026