Trespassing in Manatee County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

692 cases compared (2023-2025) · Manatee County courts

In Manatee County, we compared 666 Trespassing cases with public defenders against 26 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Public defenders achieved a 3.9 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

11.6%
PD Dismissal Rate
666 cases
7.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
26 cases
-3.9 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
vs -1.0 pts statewide, 2023-2025

Figures cover 692 cases (2023-2025) — fewer than 30 cases resolved in 2025 in this view, so multi-year figures are shown.

Exhibit · Dismissal rate by counsel type, Manatee County (2023-2025)

Public Defender
11.6% (666)
Private Attorney
7.7% (26)

GapPublic defender clients' dismissal rate runs 3.9 points above private attorney clients in Manatee County.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 692 cases · 2023-2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 666 26 288
Dismissal Rate 11.6% 7.7% 3.8%
Conviction Rate 75.8% 61.5% 93.8%
Guilty Rate 67.9% 30.8% 85.1%
Adjudication Withheld 8.0% 30.8% 8.7%
Diversion Rate 3.3% 26.9% 1.7%
Avg Sentence 2.2 months 3.0 months 14 days
Avg Fine $49 $172 $63
Avg Probation 10.5 months 1 year, 1 months 6.8 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, the dismissal rate for Trespassing is 5.0% with public defenders and 4.0% with private attorneys (-1.0 point difference). Manatee County's -3.9 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Manatee County 11.6% 7.7% -3.9 pts
Florida (Statewide) 5.0% 4.0% -1.0 pts
Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 2,439 2.0% 2,575 1.0%
Drug Possession 2,029 1.1% 226 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 1,541 2.4% 317 0.0%
Battery 1,172 4.0% 209 3.8%
Other 467 4.9% 193 1.6%
Resisting Officer 459 3.5% 77 1.3%
Fraud 335 0.9% 105 1.0%
Drug Sale 365 1.1% 63 0.0%

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Should you hire a private attorney for Trespassing in Manatee County?

In Manatee County, private attorney clients have a 7.7% dismissal rate for Trespassing compared to 11.6% for public defender clients. This is a -3.9 percentage point difference based on 692 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.

What are the conviction rates for Trespassing in Manatee County by counsel type?

The conviction rate for Trespassing in Manatee County is 75.8% with a public defender and 61.5% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.

How does Manatee County compare to statewide averages for Trespassing counsel outcomes?

Statewide, the dismissal rate is 5.0% for public defenders and 4.0% for private attorneys. Manatee County's difference of -3.9 points compares to a statewide difference of -1.0 points.

Cite this page

FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Trespassing in Manatee County, Florida — Public Defender vs Private Attorney Outcomes (2023-2025). Based on 692 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/counsel-outcomes/trespassing/manatee

Conviction includes guilty pleas and adjudication withheld. Data covers 2023–2025 FDLE public court records. Last updated: September 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 · 692 cases analyzed · Manatee County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated September 2026