Other in Volusia County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Volusia County, we compared 5,872 Other cases with public defenders against 4,824 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 9.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

47.2%
PD Dismissal Rate
5,872 cases
56.5%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
4,824 cases
+9.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 9.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Other in Volusia 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 5,872 4,824 15,894
Dismissal Rate 47.2% 56.5% 52.0%
Conviction Rate 50.5% 39.5% 47.1%
Guilty Rate 36.0% 16.0% 7.3%
Adjudication Withheld 14.5% 23.6% 39.8%
Diversion Rate 1.3% 3.5% 0.8%
Avg Sentence 10.9 months 4.8 years 1.4 months
Avg Fine $158.43 $308.81 $114.61
Avg Probation 2.6 years 3.5 years 1 year, 7 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). Volusia County's 9.3 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Volusia County 47.2% 56.5% +9.3 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Volusia County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 11,408 0.9% 2,054 0.7%
Traffic Offense 4,880 2.9% 3,023 0.6%
Battery 4,261 3.0% 1,310 1.4%
Resisting Officer 3,018 2.3% 779 1.8%
Larceny / Theft 3,141 2.3% 584 1.2%
Trespassing 3,410 2.3% 135 2.2%
Sex Offense 882 1.4% 944 3.2%
Fraud 1,379 2.6% 319 1.6%

Need a Defense Attorney in Volusia County?

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

Frequently Asked Questions

In Volusia County, private attorney clients have a 56.5% dismissal rate for Other compared to 47.2% for public defender clients. This is a 9.3 percentage point difference based on 10,696 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Volusia County is 50.5% with a public defender and 39.5% 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. Volusia County's difference of 9.3 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 · 10,696 cases analyzed · Volusia County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026