Larceny / Theft in Palm Beach County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Palm Beach County, we compared 5,955 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 2,179 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.5 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
5,955 cases
0.2%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
2,179 cases
-0.5 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 5,955 2,179 1,207
Dismissal Rate 0.7% 0.2% 0.2%
Conviction Rate 86.0% 59.8% 37.0%
Guilty Rate 77.5% 46.0% 24.9%
Adjudication Withheld 8.6% 13.8% 12.1%
Diversion Rate 12.2% 39.2% 62.8%
Avg Sentence 7.6 months 11.6 months 2.0 months
Avg Fine $81.63 $500.00 $109.30
Avg Probation 2.1 years 2.7 years 1 year, 6 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). Palm Beach County's -0.5 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Palm Beach County 0.7% 0.2% -0.5 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Palm Beach County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 17,353 0.8% 18,395 0.2%
Drug Possession 6,696 1.3% 2,370 0.2%
Battery 4,702 1.3% 2,357 0.7%
Trespassing 5,106 2.3% 505 0.2%
Other 3,575 1.6% 1,807 0.5%
Resisting Officer 3,879 1.6% 1,473 0.3%
DUI 1,632 0.5% 2,382 0.2%
Sex Offense 1,419 0.8% 1,336 0.4%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Palm Beach County, private attorney clients have a 0.2% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 0.7% for public defender clients. This is a -0.5 percentage point difference based on 8,134 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Palm Beach County is 86.0% with a public defender and 59.8% 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. Palm Beach County's difference of -0.5 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 · 8,134 cases analyzed · Palm Beach County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026