Other in Alachua County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Alachua County, we compared 410 Other cases with public defenders against 77 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 2.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.4%
PD Dismissal Rate
410 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
77 cases
-2.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Other charges in Alachua County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 410 77 101
Dismissal Rate 2.4% 0.0% 11.9%
Conviction Rate 72.0% 84.4% 59.4%
Guilty Rate 63.2% 62.3% 35.6%
Adjudication Withheld 8.8% 22.1% 23.8%
Diversion Rate 5.4% 11.7% 20.8%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 10 months 5.0 years 4.1 months
Avg Fine $1,090 $2,003 $19.06
Avg Probation 1 year, 11 months 1 year, 9 months 1 year

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 Other is 10.7% with public defenders and 19.5% with private attorneys (8.8 point difference). Alachua County's -2.4 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Alachua County 2.4% 0.0% -2.4 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Alachua County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 1,044 0.0% 292 0.0%
Battery 970 2.0% 130 2.3%
Larceny / Theft 978 0.7% 76 2.6%
Drug Possession 985 0.2% 67 0.0%
Trespassing 567 1.8% 35 0.0%
DUI 369 0.8% 156 0.0%
Resisting Officer 346 1.2% 40 0.0%
Burglary 329 0.0% 21 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Alachua County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Other cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Alachua County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Other compared to 2.4% for public defender clients. This is a -2.4 percentage point difference based on 487 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Alachua County is 72.0% with a public defender and 84.4% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 10.7% for public defenders and 19.5% for private attorneys. Alachua County's difference of -2.4 points compares to a statewide difference of 8.8 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 · 487 cases analyzed · Alachua County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026