Homicide in Miami-Dade County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Miami-Dade County, we compared 370 Homicide cases with public defenders against 408 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.4%
PD Dismissal Rate
370 cases
3.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
408 cases
+1.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Homicide in Miami-Dade County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 370 408
Dismissal Rate 2.4% 3.4%
Conviction Rate 91.9% 93.1%
Guilty Rate 84.9% 86.3%
Adjudication Withheld 7.0% 6.9%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.5%
Avg Sentence 14.3 years 11.2 years
Avg Fine $445.65 $507.30
Avg Probation 7.4 years 7.6 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). Miami-Dade County's 1.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Miami-Dade County 2.4% 3.4% +1.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.5% 1.9% -0.6 pts

Other Charges in Miami-Dade County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Larceny / Theft 8,677 1.1% 2,964 0.5%
Drug Possession 5,609 0.7% 886 1.1%
Other 2,488 7.7% 3,567 35.2%
Resisting Officer 3,936 2.6% 1,520 1.1%
Battery 3,220 2.7% 2,056 1.0%
Fraud 1,833 0.7% 1,918 0.2%
Burglary 2,738 1.2% 773 0.9%
Traffic Offense 2,357 8.0% 995 9.5%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Miami-Dade County, private attorney clients have a 3.4% dismissal rate for Homicide compared to 2.4% for public defender clients. This is a 1.0 percentage point difference based on 778 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Homicide in Miami-Dade County is 91.9% with a public defender and 93.1% 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. Miami-Dade County's difference of 1.0 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 · 778 cases analyzed · Miami-Dade County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026