Other in Bay County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Bay County, we compared 544 Other cases with public defenders against 123 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 2.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.8%
PD Dismissal Rate
544 cases
4.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
123 cases
+2.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 2.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Bay 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 544 123 140
Dismissal Rate 1.8% 4.1% 2.9%
Conviction Rate 86.8% 63.4% 82.9%
Guilty Rate 73.7% 52.8% 60.0%
Adjudication Withheld 13.1% 10.6% 22.9%
Diversion Rate 10.5% 30.9% 14.3%
Avg Sentence 4.6 months 2.8 years 2.4 months
Avg Fine $399.78 $591.38 $339.79
Avg Probation 2.4 years 2.9 years 2.3 years

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). Bay County's 2.3 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Bay County 1.8% 4.1% +2.3 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Bay County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,749 1.1% 515 1.9%
Traffic Offense 809 0.7% 264 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 768 0.5% 155 3.2%
Battery 735 1.6% 174 4.0%
Resisting Officer 485 1.2% 93 2.2%
DUI 411 0.2% 120 3.3%
Trespassing 445 0.7% 29 3.4%
Disorderly Conduct 261 1.9% 60 3.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Bay County, private attorney clients have a 4.1% dismissal rate for Other compared to 1.8% for public defender clients. This is a 2.3 percentage point difference based on 667 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Bay County is 86.8% with a public defender and 63.4% 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. Bay County's difference of 2.3 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 · 667 cases analyzed · Bay County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026