Other in Hernando County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Hernando County, we compared 287 Other cases with public defenders against 26 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
287 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
26 cases
-1.7 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Other charges in Hernando County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 287 26 59
Dismissal Rate 1.7% 0.0% 10.2%
Conviction Rate 87.1% 65.4% 62.7%
Guilty Rate 82.6% 42.3% 40.7%
Adjudication Withheld 4.5% 23.1% 22.0%
Diversion Rate 5.6% 34.6% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 2.2 years 11.4 months 0 days
Avg Fine $895.57 $286.80 $137.30
Avg Probation 3.4 years 1 year, 5 months 0 days

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). Hernando County's -1.7 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Hernando County 1.7% 0.0% -1.7 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Hernando County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 849 2.6% 24 4.2%
Battery 778 1.5% 18 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 652 0.5% 44 0.0%
Traffic Offense 428 0.0% 81 0.0%
Trespassing 312 1.0% 19 0.0%
DUI 279 0.4% 27 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Hernando County?

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

Frequently Asked Questions

In Hernando County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Other compared to 1.7% for public defender clients. This is a -1.7 percentage point difference based on 313 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Hernando County is 87.1% with a public defender and 65.4% 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. Hernando County's difference of -1.7 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 · 313 cases analyzed · Hernando County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026