Homicide in Leon County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Leon County, we compared 36 Homicide cases with public defenders against 75 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 7.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

11.1%
PD Dismissal Rate
36 cases
4.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
75 cases
-7.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 36 75
Dismissal Rate 11.1% 4.0%
Conviction Rate 58.3% 76.0%
Guilty Rate 58.3% 76.0%
Adjudication Withheld 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 11.9 years 15.6 years
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 5.3 years 5.3 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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Homicide is 2.5% with public defenders and 1.9% with private attorneys (-0.6 point difference). Leon County's -7.1 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Leon County 11.1% 4.0% -7.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.5% 1.9% -0.6 pts

Other Charges in Leon County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 2,006 1.3% 943 0.5%
Traffic Offense 1,864 0.9% 905 0.3%
Larceny / Theft 1,829 2.1% 466 0.0%
Battery 1,345 5.2% 497 2.2%
Trespassing 1,458 2.4% 125 1.6%
Resisting Officer 1,074 3.6% 288 3.1%
Other 679 3.1% 425 2.6%
Fraud 526 4.2% 229 2.2%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Leon County, private attorney clients have a 4.0% dismissal rate for Homicide compared to 11.1% for public defender clients. This is a -7.1 percentage point difference based on 111 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Homicide in Leon County is 58.3% with a public defender and 76.0% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.5% for public defenders and 1.9% for private attorneys. Leon County's difference of -7.1 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.6 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 · 111 cases analyzed · Leon County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026