Traffic Offense in Alachua County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Alachua County, we compared 1,044 Traffic Offense cases with public defenders against 292 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
1,044 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
292 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
Facing Traffic Offense charges in Alachua County?

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 1,044 292 687
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 99.4% 99.3% 99.9%
Guilty Rate 77.0% 34.9% 45.1%
Adjudication Withheld 22.4% 64.4% 54.7%
Diversion Rate 0.4% 0.3% 0.1%
Avg Sentence 2.2 months 3.4 months 15 days
Avg Fine $156.13 $162.37 $138.44
Avg Probation 10.7 months 8.3 months 6.1 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. This data is informational and does not constitute legal advice.

Statewide Comparison

Statewide, the dismissal rate for Traffic Offense is 2.4% with public defenders and 3.6% with private attorneys (1.2 point difference). Alachua County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Alachua County 0.0% 0.0% 0.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.4% 3.6% +1.2 pts

Other Charges in Alachua County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Battery 970 2.0% 130 2.3%
Larceny / Theft 978 0.7% 76 2.6%
Drug Possession 985 0.2% 67 0.0%
Trespassing 567 1.8% 35 0.0%
DUI 369 0.8% 156 0.0%
Other 410 2.4% 77 0.0%
Resisting Officer 346 1.2% 40 0.0%
Burglary 329 0.0% 21 0.0%

Need a Defense Attorney in Alachua County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Traffic Offense cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Alachua County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Traffic Offense compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 1,336 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Traffic Offense in Alachua County is 99.4% with a public defender and 99.3% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.4% for public defenders and 3.6% for private attorneys. Alachua County's difference of 0.0 points compares to a statewide difference of 1.2 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 · 1,336 cases analyzed · Alachua County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026