Other in Santa Rosa County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Santa Rosa County, we compared 311 Other cases with public defenders against 86 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 3.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.9%
PD Dismissal Rate
311 cases
5.8%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
86 cases
+3.9 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 3.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Santa Rosa 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 311 86 276
Dismissal Rate 1.9% 5.8% 2.2%
Conviction Rate 91.0% 59.3% 61.2%
Guilty Rate 83.0% 34.9% 34.4%
Adjudication Withheld 8.0% 24.4% 26.8%
Diversion Rate 5.8% 34.9% 36.6%
Avg Sentence 2.5 years 3.9 years 1.2 months
Avg Fine $1,591 $3,768 $70.53
Avg Probation 2.3 years 1 year, 9 months 6.4 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). Santa Rosa County's 3.9 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Santa Rosa County 1.9% 5.8% +3.9 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Santa Rosa County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,200 0.4% 169 0.0%
Traffic Offense 689 0.6% 468 0.6%
Battery 698 0.6% 143 1.4%
DUI 424 0.9% 380 2.1%
Larceny / Theft 628 0.0% 171 0.6%
Resisting Officer 240 1.7% 54 1.9%
Trespassing 211 0.0% 19 0.0%
Contempt of Court 153 0.7% 32 3.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Santa Rosa County, private attorney clients have a 5.8% dismissal rate for Other compared to 1.9% for public defender clients. This is a 3.9 percentage point difference based on 397 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Santa Rosa County is 91.0% with a public defender and 59.3% 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. Santa Rosa County's difference of 3.9 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 · 397 cases analyzed · Santa Rosa County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026