Larceny / Theft in Santa Rosa County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Santa Rosa County, we compared 628 Larceny / Theft cases with public defenders against 171 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 0.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
628 cases
0.6%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
171 cases
+0.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 0.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft in Santa Rosa 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 628 171 439
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.6% 0.9%
Conviction Rate 91.7% 50.3% 68.1%
Guilty Rate 77.5% 31.0% 46.9%
Adjudication Withheld 14.2% 19.3% 21.2%
Diversion Rate 7.5% 49.1% 31.0%
Avg Sentence 9.9 months 1 year, 2 months 2.7 months
Avg Fine $143.79 $144.18 $44.46
Avg Probation 1 year, 9 months 1 year, 9 months 7.4 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). Santa Rosa County's 0.6 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Santa Rosa County 0.0% 0.6% +0.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.4% 1.3% -0.1 pts

Other Charges in Santa Rosa County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,200 0.4% 169 0.0%
Traffic Offense 689 0.6% 468 0.6%
Battery 698 0.6% 143 1.4%
DUI 424 0.9% 380 2.1%
Other 311 1.9% 86 5.8%
Resisting Officer 240 1.7% 54 1.9%
Trespassing 211 0.0% 19 0.0%
Contempt of Court 153 0.7% 32 3.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Santa Rosa County, private attorney clients have a 0.6% dismissal rate for Larceny / Theft compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.6 percentage point difference based on 799 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Larceny / Theft in Santa Rosa County is 91.7% with a public defender and 50.3% 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. Santa Rosa County's difference of 0.6 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 · 799 cases analyzed · Santa Rosa County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026