Other in Walton County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Walton County, we compared 175 Other cases with public defenders against 105 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 5.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

11.4%
PD Dismissal Rate
175 cases
5.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
105 cases
-5.7 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Other charges in Walton County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 175 105 548
Dismissal Rate 11.4% 5.7% 0.7%
Conviction Rate 80.6% 22.9% 27.4%
Guilty Rate 71.4% 12.4% 14.6%
Adjudication Withheld 9.1% 10.5% 12.8%
Diversion Rate 7.4% 71.4% 71.9%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 3 months 1 year, 7 months 3.8 months
Avg Fine $1,187 $343.64 $140.26
Avg Probation 1 year, 12 months 1 year, 10 months 10.8 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). Walton County's -5.7 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Walton County 11.4% 5.7% -5.7 pts
Florida (Statewide) 10.7% 19.5% +8.8 pts

Other Charges in Walton County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 680 0.6% 254 1.6%
Drug Possession 677 5.6% 55 9.1%
DUI 226 2.7% 228 0.9%
Battery 290 6.9% 96 2.1%
Larceny / Theft 262 3.1% 42 2.4%
Burglary 154 8.4% 17 17.6%
Resisting Officer 113 4.4% 25 12.0%
Disorderly Conduct 54 1.9% 27 3.7%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Walton County, private attorney clients have a 5.7% dismissal rate for Other compared to 11.4% for public defender clients. This is a -5.7 percentage point difference based on 280 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Other in Walton County is 80.6% with a public defender and 22.9% 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. Walton County's difference of -5.7 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 · 280 cases analyzed · Walton County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026