Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Perjury in Florida?

We compared 1,543 Perjury cases with public defenders against 903 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.4 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,543 cases
1.3%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
903 cases
-0.4 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,543 903 558
Dismissal Rate 1.7% 1.3% 3.0%
Conviction Rate 89.3% 83.1% 88.7%
Guilty Rate 69.1% 53.8% 63.1%
Adjudication Withheld 20.2% 29.2% 25.6%
Diversion Rate 6.9% 14.0% 7.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 2 months 1 year, 11 months 1 year, 3 months
Avg Fine $630.19 $888.94 $198.27
Avg Probation 2.1 years 2.7 years 1 year, 5 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. Public defenders carry heavier caseloads but have deep institutional knowledge of local courts. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

County-by-County Breakdown

Counties where both public defenders and private attorneys handled 20+ Perjury cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Volusia 257 0.8% 135 0.0% -0.8 pts
Miami-Dade 239 0.8% 99 2.0% +1.2 pts
Palm Beach 116 0.9% 89 0.0% -0.9 pts
Hillsborough 65 4.6% 121 1.7% -2.9 pts
Orange 92 3.3% 40 0.0% -3.3 pts
Duval 51 2.0% 46 2.2% +0.2 pts
Pasco 59 3.4% 31 3.2% -0.2 pts
Bay 56 1.8% 20 5.0% +3.2 pts
St. Lucie 37 5.4% 28 3.6% -1.8 pts
Leon 36 2.8% 25 0.0% -2.8 pts
Seminole 37 2.7% 21 0.0% -2.7 pts
Polk 28 0.0% 20 0.0% 0.0 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 2,446 Perjury cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 1.3% dismissal rate compared to 1.7% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Perjury in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 89.3% with a public defender and 83.1% with a private attorney.
For Perjury cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 2 months with a public defender and 1 year, 11 months with a private attorney. Average fines are $630.19 (PD) vs $888.94 (private).

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 · 2,446 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026