Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Stalking in Florida?

We compared 1,447 Stalking cases with public defenders against 1,028 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 1.3 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

3.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,447 cases
2.3%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,028 cases
-1.3 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Stalking charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,447 1,028 467
Dismissal Rate 3.6% 2.3% 4.3%
Conviction Rate 83.1% 81.0% 86.7%
Guilty Rate 65.7% 50.7% 63.4%
Adjudication Withheld 17.5% 30.4% 23.3%
Diversion Rate 5.7% 13.0% 5.8%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 2 months 1 year, 2 months 1 year, 3 months
Avg Fine $242.14 $298.94 $272.52
Avg Probation 1 year, 12 months 2.2 years 1 year, 9 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+ Stalking cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Palm Beach 140 1.4% 106 0.0% -1.4 pts
Miami-Dade 119 5.0% 124 0.0% -5.0 pts
Orange 127 1.6% 89 3.4% +1.8 pts
Hillsborough 86 5.8% 122 4.9% -0.9 pts
Pasco 120 2.5% 86 1.2% -1.3 pts
Volusia 133 6.0% 64 0.0% -6.0 pts
Polk 88 5.7% 49 0.0% -5.7 pts
Duval 72 5.6% 47 2.1% -3.5 pts
Leon 40 7.5% 30 3.3% -4.2 pts
Lake 34 2.9% 31 3.2% +0.3 pts
Santa Rosa 26 0.0% 23 4.3% +4.3 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 2,475 Stalking cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 2.3% dismissal rate compared to 3.6% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Stalking in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 83.1% with a public defender and 81.0% with a private attorney.
For Stalking cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 2 months with a public defender and 1 year, 2 months with a private attorney. Average fines are $242.14 (PD) vs $298.94 (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 · 2,475 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026