Other in Palm Beach County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Palm Beach County, we compared 3,575 Other cases with public defenders against 1,807 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
3,575 cases
0.5%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,807 cases
-1.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Other charges in Palm Beach County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 3,575 1,807 9,713
Dismissal Rate 1.6% 0.5% 0.2%
Conviction Rate 35.2% 46.7% 1.9%
Guilty Rate 31.3% 36.4% 1.3%
Adjudication Withheld 3.9% 10.3% 0.6%
Diversion Rate 12.3% 42.3% 10.3%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 2 months 2.1 years 4.4 months
Avg Fine $390.77 $399.19 $77.15
Avg Probation 2.0 years 2.4 years 1 year, 11 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). Palm Beach County's -1.1 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Palm Beach County 1.6% 0.5% -1.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Palm Beach County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 17,353 0.8% 18,395 0.2%
Drug Possession 6,696 1.3% 2,370 0.2%
Larceny / Theft 5,955 0.7% 2,179 0.2%
Battery 4,702 1.3% 2,357 0.7%
Trespassing 5,106 2.3% 505 0.2%
Resisting Officer 3,879 1.6% 1,473 0.3%
DUI 1,632 0.5% 2,382 0.2%
Sex Offense 1,419 0.8% 1,336 0.4%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Palm Beach County, private attorney clients have a 0.5% dismissal rate for Other compared to 1.6% for public defender clients. This is a -1.1 percentage point difference based on 5,382 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Palm Beach County is 35.2% with a public defender and 46.7% 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. Palm Beach County's difference of -1.1 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 · 5,382 cases analyzed · Palm Beach County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026