Should You Hire a Private Attorney for Stolen Property in Florida?

We compared 2,227 Stolen Property cases with public defenders against 1,220 cases with private attorneys across Florida (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 0.5 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

2.5%
PD Dismissal Rate
2,227 cases
2.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
1,220 cases
-0.5 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Stolen Property charges in Florida?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 2,227 1,220 592
Dismissal Rate 2.5% 2.0% 5.1%
Conviction Rate 92.1% 88.0% 92.7%
Guilty Rate 76.4% 66.1% 78.7%
Adjudication Withheld 15.7% 21.9% 14.0%
Diversion Rate 3.9% 8.4% 0.8%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 10 months 2.4 years 2.5 years
Avg Fine $343.40 $463.15 $179.60
Avg Probation 3.4 years 3.9 years 2.7 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+ Stolen Property cases.

County PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal Difference
Hillsborough 335 5.4% 541 2.6% -2.8 pts
Duval 273 0.0% 101 0.0% 0.0 pts
Miami-Dade 137 2.2% 187 0.0% -2.2 pts
Volusia 284 1.1% 32 0.0% -1.1 pts
Palm Beach 201 2.5% 73 0.0% -2.5 pts
Pasco 140 0.0% 29 0.0% 0.0 pts
Seminole 72 0.0% 33 0.0% 0.0 pts
St. Lucie 58 8.6% 27 33.3% +24.7 pts
Leon 57 3.5% 21 0.0% -3.5 pts
Polk 40 0.0% 21 0.0% 0.0 pts
Martin 22 4.5% 26 0.0% -4.5 pts

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Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 3,447 Stolen Property cases in Florida (2023-2025), private attorney clients have a 2.0% dismissal rate compared to 2.5% for public defender clients. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
For Stolen Property in Florida, the conviction rate (guilty + adjudication withheld) is 92.1% with a public defender and 88.0% with a private attorney.
For Stolen Property cases with sentences imposed, the average sentence is 1 year, 10 months with a public defender and 2.4 years with a private attorney. Average fines are $343.40 (PD) vs $463.15 (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 · 3,447 cases analyzed · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026