Sex Offense in St. Lucie County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In St. Lucie County, we compared 230 Sex Offense cases with public defenders against 160 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 5.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

1.7%
PD Dismissal Rate
230 cases
6.9%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
160 cases
+5.2 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 5.2 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Sex Offense in St. Lucie County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 230 160
Dismissal Rate 1.7% 6.9%
Conviction Rate 73.0% 63.7%
Guilty Rate 72.2% 60.6%
Adjudication Withheld 0.9% 3.1%
Diversion Rate 0.9% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 8.0 years 6.7 years
Avg Fine $2,775 $5,200
Avg Probation 6.8 years 6.4 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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Sex Offense is 2.3% with public defenders and 2.0% with private attorneys (-0.3 point difference). St. Lucie County's 5.2 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
St. Lucie County 1.7% 6.9% +5.2 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.3% 2.0% -0.3 pts

Other Charges in St. Lucie County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,314 8.3% 737 5.3%
Traffic Offense 672 0.7% 398 0.0%
Battery 576 12.2% 364 4.7%
DUI 370 0.5% 537 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 573 2.4% 268 1.1%
Other 377 2.7% 281 1.1%
Resisting Officer 420 7.1% 189 1.6%
Fraud 234 4.3% 196 7.1%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In St. Lucie County, private attorney clients have a 6.9% dismissal rate for Sex Offense compared to 1.7% for public defender clients. This is a 5.2 percentage point difference based on 390 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Sex Offense in St. Lucie County is 73.0% with a public defender and 63.7% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.3% for public defenders and 2.0% for private attorneys. St. Lucie County's difference of 5.2 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.3 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 · 390 cases analyzed · St. Lucie County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026