Traffic Offense in Columbia County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Columbia County, we compared 704 Traffic Offense cases with public defenders against 161 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
704 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
161 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 704 161 842
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 92.5% 79.5% 64.3%
Guilty Rate 82.5% 53.4% 27.1%
Adjudication Withheld 9.9% 26.1% 37.2%
Diversion Rate 7.4% 19.9% 35.7%
Avg Sentence 4.7 months 10 days 15 days
Avg Fine $446.88 $287.69 $194.46
Avg Probation 1 year, 1 months 1 year 8.3 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). Columbia County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Columbia County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Larceny / Theft 327 0.0% 26 0.0%
Drug Possession 310 0.6% 15 0.0%
Battery 210 0.5% 16 0.0%
Other 148 0.7% 15 0.0%
DUI 103 0.0% 16 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Columbia 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 865 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Traffic Offense in Columbia County is 92.5% with a public defender and 79.5% 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. Columbia 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 · 865 cases analyzed · Columbia County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026