Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Other in Florida?

We compared 36,212 Other cases with public defenders against 29,370 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 8.8 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

10.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
36,212 cases
19.5%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
29,370 cases
+8.8 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 8.8 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Florida. 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 36,212 29,370 74,608
Dismissal Rate 10.7% 19.5% 13.4%
Conviction Rate 67.1% 63.2% 30.8%
Guilty Rate 55.1% 39.9% 15.0%
Adjudication Withheld 12.0% 23.3% 15.8%
Diversion Rate 4.4% 12.4% 7.5%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 6 months 2.5 years 11.1 months
Avg Fine $881.05 $950.64 $106.73
Avg Probation 2.5 years 2.6 years 1 year, 8 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. Public defenders carry heavier caseloads but have deep institutional knowledge of local courts. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

County-by-County Breakdown

Counties where both public defenders and private attorneys handled 20+ Other cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Volusia 5,872 47.2% 4,824 56.5% +9.3 pts
Hillsborough 2,123 6.4% 4,907 6.2% -0.2 pts
Duval 4,645 0.2% 1,460 0.3% +0.1 pts
Miami-Dade 2,488 7.7% 3,567 35.2% +27.5 pts
Palm Beach 3,575 1.6% 1,807 0.5% -1.1 pts
Collier 1,635 1.8% 2,333 39.4% +37.6 pts
Orange 1,564 2.4% 1,446 2.4% 0.0 pts
Monroe 402 1.0% 1,851 2.4% +1.4 pts
Polk 1,332 8.8% 803 1.6% -7.2 pts
Lake 1,040 2.1% 921 3.3% +1.2 pts
Pasco 1,145 1.5% 639 0.8% -0.7 pts
Martin 690 37.7% 699 40.2% +2.5 pts
Seminole 741 1.5% 641 5.3% +3.8 pts
Marion 1,079 0.7% 201 2.0% +1.3 pts
Leon 679 3.1% 425 2.6% -0.5 pts
Okaloosa 377 2.1% 317 0.3% -1.8 pts
Bay 544 1.8% 123 4.1% +2.3 pts
Manatee 468 4.9% 195 1.5% -3.4 pts
St. Lucie 377 2.7% 281 1.1% -1.6 pts
Citrus 489 2.5% 129 1.6% -0.9 pts
St. Johns 347 2.9% 245 1.2% -1.7 pts
Alachua 410 2.4% 77 0.0% -2.4 pts
Highlands 314 3.8% 94 0.0% -3.8 pts
Santa Rosa 311 1.9% 86 5.8% +3.9 pts
Hernando 287 1.7% 26 0.0% -1.7 pts
Lee 207 0.0% 103 0.0% 0.0 pts
Brevard 199 2.0% 84 13.1% +11.1 pts
Walton 175 11.4% 105 5.7% -5.7 pts
Sumter 190 1.1% 76 1.3% +0.2 pts
Pinellas 137 0.0% 117 0.0% 0.0 pts
Hendry 160 0.0% 93 0.0% 0.0 pts
Osceola 156 1.9% 72 0.0% -1.9 pts
Putnam 169 0.6% 23 0.0% -0.6 pts
Okeechobee 142 3.5% 42 7.1% +3.6 pts
Nassau 142 0.0% 40 5.0% +5.0 pts
Desoto 116 2.6% 29 0.0% -2.6 pts
Holmes 26 0.0% 74 6.8% +6.8 pts
Franklin 78 1.3% 21 0.0% -1.3 pts
Wakulla 77 3.9% 20 10.0% +6.1 pts
Hardee 70 2.9% 20 5.0% +2.1 pts

Facing Other Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 65,582 Other cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 19.5% dismissal rate compared to 10.7% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Other in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 67.1% with a public defender and 63.2% with a private attorney.
For Other cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 6 months with a public defender and 2.5 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $881.05 (PD) vs $950.64 (private).

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 · 65,582 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026