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

In Pinellas County, we compared 234 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 123 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 2.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
234 cases
2.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
123 cases
+2.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 2.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft in Pinellas County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 234 123 6,633
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 2.4% 2.4%
Conviction Rate 50.9% 56.1% 92.3%
Guilty Rate 41.0% 43.9% 77.2%
Adjudication Withheld 9.8% 12.2% 15.1%
Diversion Rate 23.9% 39.0% 5.1%
Avg Sentence 1 year 1 year 8.6 months
Avg Fine $134.82 $182.24 $152.17
Avg Probation 1 year, 10 months 2.3 years 1 year, 12 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). Pinellas County's 2.4 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Pinellas County 0.0% 2.4% +2.4 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Pinellas County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,043 0.0% 405 0.0%
Battery 423 0.5% 174 0.6%
DUI 275 0.0% 279 0.7%
Traffic Offense 192 0.0% 208 0.0%
Other 137 0.0% 117 0.0%
Resisting Officer 146 0.0% 68 0.0%
Sex Offense 105 2.9% 102 0.0%
Fraud 123 0.0% 78 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Pinellas County, private attorney clients have a 2.4% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 2.4 percentage point difference based on 357 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Pinellas County is 50.9% with a public defender and 56.1% 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. Pinellas County's difference of 2.4 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 · 357 cases analyzed · Pinellas County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026