Other in Monroe County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Monroe County, we compared 402 Other cases with public defenders against 1,851 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
402 cases
2.4%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,851 cases
+1.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Monroe 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 402 1,851 421
Dismissal Rate 1.0% 2.4% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 89.3% 91.5% 78.6%
Guilty Rate 65.9% 37.1% 15.0%
Adjudication Withheld 23.4% 54.5% 63.7%
Diversion Rate 2.7% 4.8% 2.4%
Avg Sentence 8.1 months 8.3 months 16 days
Avg Fine $0.00 $0.00 $0.00
Avg Probation 1 year 9.6 months 6.3 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). Monroe County's 1.4 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Monroe County 1.0% 2.4% +1.4 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Monroe County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 482 0.4% 2,653 0.5%
Drug Possession 506 2.4% 1,077 0.7%
Trespassing 359 0.3% 460 0.2%
Resisting Officer 252 0.4% 519 0.8%
DUI 185 2.2% 567 2.5%
Larceny / Theft 252 0.8% 428 0.9%
Battery 174 0.0% 452 1.1%
Fraud 129 0.0% 240 0.8%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Monroe County, private attorney clients have a 2.4% dismissal rate for Other compared to 1.0% for public defender clients. This is a 1.4 percentage point difference based on 2,253 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Monroe County is 89.3% with a public defender and 91.5% 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. Monroe County's difference of 1.4 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 · 2,253 cases analyzed · Monroe County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026