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

In Okeechobee County, we compared 221 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 22 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
221 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
22 cases
-3.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 221 22 49
Dismissal Rate 3.6% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 96.4% 100.0% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 83.3% 50.0% 69.4%
Adjudication Withheld 13.1% 50.0% 30.6%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 7.6 months 1 year, 1 months 27 days
Avg Fine $444.12 $390.00 $327.50
Avg Probation 1 year, 5 months 1 year 7.7 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). Okeechobee County's -3.6 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Okeechobee County 3.6% 0.0% -3.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Okeechobee County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 657 0.8% 201 0.0%
Drug Possession 376 8.5% 43 27.9%
Battery 225 7.1% 54 11.1%
DUI 145 1.4% 121 0.0%
Other 142 3.5% 42 7.1%
Resisting Officer 93 2.2% 15 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Okeechobee County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 3.6% for public defender clients. This is a -3.6 percentage point difference based on 243 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Okeechobee County is 96.4% with a public defender and 100.0% 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. Okeechobee County's difference of -3.6 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 · 243 cases analyzed · Okeechobee County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026