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

In Highlands County, we compared 330 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 34 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 2.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
330 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
34 cases
-2.7 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 330 34 63
Dismissal Rate 2.7% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 95.2% 97.1% 98.4%
Guilty Rate 90.6% 67.6% 60.3%
Adjudication Withheld 4.5% 29.4% 38.1%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 2.9% 1.6%
Avg Sentence 7.2 months 2.3 months 1.5 months
Avg Fine $250.26 $316.00 $120.48
Avg Probation 1 year, 7 months 3.9 years 6.9 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). Highlands County's -2.7 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Highlands County 2.7% 0.0% -2.7 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Highlands County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 703 0.3% 343 0.3%
Drug Possession 600 0.5% 37 0.0%
Battery 387 1.6% 37 5.4%
Other 314 3.8% 94 0.0%
Resisting Officer 195 2.1% 17 5.9%
Sex Offense 40 5.0% 15 0.0%
DUI 19 0.0% 26 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Highlands County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 2.7% for public defender clients. This is a -2.7 percentage point difference based on 364 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Highlands County is 95.2% with a public defender and 97.1% 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. Highlands County's difference of -2.7 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 · 364 cases analyzed · Highlands County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026