Traffic Offense in Marion County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Marion County, we compared 2,583 Traffic Offense cases with public defenders against 798 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
2,583 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
798 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 2,583 798 1,931
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.1%
Conviction Rate 99.9% 99.7% 99.9%
Guilty Rate 73.2% 46.1% 31.3%
Adjudication Withheld 26.6% 53.6% 68.6%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.1% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 2.5 months 28 days 11 days
Avg Fine $247.80 $142.64 $57.91
Avg Probation 1 year 9.3 months 5.5 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). Marion County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Marion County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 2,952 2.2% 199 7.0%
Larceny / Theft 2,243 0.2% 212 0.5%
Battery 1,628 0.4% 272 0.7%
Other 1,079 0.7% 201 2.0%
Trespassing 1,046 0.0% 22 0.0%
DUI 597 0.2% 469 0.0%
Probation Violation 771 0.0% 64 0.0%
Resisting Officer 751 0.1% 79 1.3%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Marion 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 3,381 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Traffic Offense in Marion County is 99.9% with a public defender and 99.7% 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. Marion 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 · 3,381 cases analyzed · Marion County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026