Homicide in Pasco County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Pasco County, we compared 63 Homicide cases with public defenders against 54 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
63 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
54 cases
-3.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Homicide charges in Pasco County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 63 54
Dismissal Rate 3.2% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 85.7% 90.7%
Guilty Rate 85.7% 90.7%
Adjudication Withheld 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 17.2 years 15.3 years
Avg Fine $1,291 $225.72
Avg Probation 4.6 years 5.4 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. 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). Pasco County's -3.2 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Pasco County 3.2% 0.0% -3.2 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.5% 1.9% -0.6 pts

Other Charges in Pasco County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 5,638 0.1% 1,576 0.4%
Traffic Offense 3,220 0.5% 1,863 0.2%
Battery 2,617 2.3% 1,005 0.9%
Larceny / Theft 2,368 1.0% 700 0.3%
Resisting Officer 1,536 1.5% 454 0.0%
DUI 925 2.3% 1,033 2.5%
Other 1,145 1.5% 639 0.8%
Trespassing 1,312 3.9% 122 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Pasco County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Homicide cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Pasco County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Homicide compared to 3.2% for public defender clients. This is a -3.2 percentage point difference based on 117 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Homicide in Pasco County is 85.7% with a public defender and 90.7% 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. Pasco County's difference of -3.2 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 · 117 cases analyzed · Pasco County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026