Other in Brevard County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Brevard County, we compared 199 Other cases with public defenders against 84 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 11.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
199 cases
13.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
84 cases
+11.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 11.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Brevard County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 199 84
Dismissal Rate 2.0% 13.1%
Conviction Rate 87.4% 66.7%
Guilty Rate 67.8% 41.7%
Adjudication Withheld 19.6% 25.0%
Diversion Rate 2.0% 8.3%
Avg Sentence 9.8 months 1 year, 1 months
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 2.2 years 3.2 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). Brevard County's 11.1 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Brevard County 2.0% 13.1% +11.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Brevard County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 668 1.2% 353 3.4%
Drug Possession 556 0.2% 185 1.1%
Larceny / Theft 417 0.2% 80 1.2%
Battery 277 2.9% 122 1.6%
DUI 150 0.0% 236 2.1%
Contempt of Court 223 78.0% 84 84.5%
Resisting Officer 196 0.5% 58 1.7%
Burglary 117 1.7% 25 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Brevard County, private attorney clients have a 13.1% dismissal rate for Other compared to 2.0% for public defender clients. This is a 11.1 percentage point difference based on 283 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Brevard County is 87.4% with a public defender and 66.7% 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. Brevard County's difference of 11.1 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 · 283 cases analyzed · Brevard County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026