Other in Desoto County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Desoto County, we compared 116 Other cases with public defenders against 29 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 2.6 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
116 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
29 cases
-2.6 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 116 29 15
Dismissal Rate 2.6% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 96.6% 100.0% 100.0%
Guilty Rate 84.5% 62.1% 20.0%
Adjudication Withheld 12.1% 37.9% 80.0%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 3.7 years 3.8 years 0 days
Avg Fine $1,185 $245.70 $224.55
Avg Probation 2.6 years 1 year, 11 months 5.1 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 Other is 10.7% with public defenders and 19.5% with private attorneys (8.8 point difference). Desoto County's -2.6 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Desoto County 2.6% 0.0% -2.6 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Desoto County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 257 2.3% 260 2.3%
Drug Possession 363 1.1% 47 0.0%
Battery 123 0.0% 23 4.3%
Resisting Officer 89 1.1% 20 0.0%
DUI 45 0.0% 42 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Desoto County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Other compared to 2.6% for public defender clients. This is a -2.6 percentage point difference based on 145 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Desoto County is 96.6% with a public defender and 100.0% 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. Desoto County's difference of -2.6 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 · 145 cases analyzed · Desoto County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026