Larceny / Theft in Brevard County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Brevard County, we compared 417 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 80 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
417 cases
1.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
80 cases
+1.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.0 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft in Brevard 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 417 80
Dismissal Rate 0.2% 1.2%
Conviction Rate 93.5% 70.0%
Guilty Rate 76.5% 33.8%
Adjudication Withheld 17.0% 36.2%
Diversion Rate 1.7% 27.5%
Avg Sentence 5.3 months 11.3 months
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 2.3 years 1 year, 9 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 Larceny / Theft is 1.4% with public defenders and 1.3% with private attorneys (-0.1 point difference). Brevard County's 1.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Brevard County 0.2% 1.2% +1.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Brevard County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 668 1.2% 353 3.4%
Drug Possession 556 0.2% 185 1.1%
Battery 277 2.9% 122 1.6%
DUI 150 0.0% 236 2.1%
Contempt of Court 223 78.0% 84 84.5%
Other 199 2.0% 84 13.1%
Resisting Officer 196 0.5% 58 1.7%
Burglary 117 1.7% 25 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Brevard County, private attorney clients have a 1.2% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 0.2% for public defender clients. This is a 1.0 percentage point difference based on 497 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Brevard County is 93.5% with a public defender and 70.0% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.4% for public defenders and 1.3% for private attorneys. Brevard County's difference of 1.0 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.1 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 · 497 cases analyzed · Brevard County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026