Other in Highlands County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Highlands County, we compared 314 Other cases with public defenders against 94 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.8 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.8%
PD Dismissal Rate
314 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
94 cases
-3.8 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 314 94 89
Dismissal Rate 3.8% 0.0% 22.5%
Conviction Rate 90.4% 96.8% 77.5%
Guilty Rate 86.9% 80.9% 14.6%
Adjudication Withheld 3.5% 16.0% 62.9%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 2.4 years 1 year, 10 months 3.8 months
Avg Fine $317.91 $282.06 $73.56
Avg Probation 3.4 years 2.9 years 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). Highlands County's -3.8 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Highlands County 3.8% 0.0% -3.8 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Highlands County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 703 0.3% 343 0.3%
Drug Possession 600 0.5% 37 0.0%
Battery 387 1.6% 37 5.4%
Larceny / Theft 330 2.7% 34 0.0%
Resisting Officer 195 2.1% 17 5.9%
Sex Offense 40 5.0% 15 0.0%
DUI 19 0.0% 26 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Highlands County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Other compared to 3.8% for public defender clients. This is a -3.8 percentage point difference based on 408 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Highlands County is 90.4% with a public defender and 96.8% 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. Highlands County's difference of -3.8 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 · 408 cases analyzed · Highlands County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026