Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Sex Offense in Florida?

We compared 11,639 Sex Offense cases with public defenders against 15,207 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.3%
PD Dismissal Rate
11,639 cases
2.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
15,207 cases
-0.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Sex Offense charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 11,639 15,207 3,702
Dismissal Rate 2.3% 2.0% 2.4%
Conviction Rate 86.8% 87.7% 95.1%
Guilty Rate 82.6% 83.4% 77.4%
Adjudication Withheld 4.3% 4.2% 17.7%
Diversion Rate 2.4% 3.7% 1.5%
Avg Sentence 12.6 years 13.2 years 11.3 years
Avg Fine $652.61 $1,012 $1,490
Avg Probation 9.1 years 8.7 years 4.8 years

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+ Sex Offense cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 2,846 0.7% 6,883 2.4% +1.7 pts
Palm Beach 1,419 0.8% 1,336 0.4% -0.4 pts
Volusia 882 1.4% 944 3.2% +1.8 pts
Miami-Dade 745 7.2% 838 2.5% -4.7 pts
Polk 710 1.3% 477 0.4% -0.9 pts
Orange 621 8.7% 347 2.0% -6.7 pts
Martin 449 0.4% 491 0.0% -0.4 pts
Lake 366 9.3% 548 4.4% -4.9 pts
Seminole 360 0.8% 485 0.2% -0.6 pts
Collier 147 0.7% 633 0.0% -0.7 pts
Duval 393 0.8% 347 0.6% -0.2 pts
Pasco 340 0.9% 311 0.0% -0.9 pts
Okaloosa 220 4.5% 243 8.2% +3.7 pts
St. Johns 175 1.1% 280 1.4% +0.3 pts
St. Lucie 230 1.7% 160 6.9% +5.2 pts
Marion 240 0.0% 59 0.0% 0.0 pts
Leon 126 6.3% 122 1.6% -4.7 pts
Pinellas 105 2.9% 102 0.0% -2.9 pts
Citrus 100 0.0% 100 0.0% 0.0 pts
Alachua 126 2.4% 49 0.0% -2.4 pts
Manatee 134 9.7% 38 5.3% -4.4 pts
Bay 118 0.0% 30 3.3% +3.3 pts
Osceola 106 1.9% 22 0.0% -1.9 pts
Santa Rosa 88 1.1% 30 3.3% +2.2 pts
Monroe 25 0.0% 86 1.2% +1.2 pts
Brevard 38 0.0% 31 0.0% 0.0 pts
Sumter 29 3.4% 20 0.0% -3.4 pts

Facing Sex Offense Charges in Florida?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 26,846 Sex Offense cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 2.0% dismissal rate compared to 2.3% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Sex Offense in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 86.8% with a public defender and 87.7% with a private attorney.
For Sex Offense cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 12.6 years with a public defender and 13.2 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $652.61 (PD) vs $1,012 (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 · 26,846 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026