Trespassing in Seminole County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Seminole County, we compared 947 Trespassing cases with public defenders against 79 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 1.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

4.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
947 cases
5.1%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
79 cases
+1.1 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 1.1 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Trespassing in Seminole County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.
Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 947 79 187
Dismissal Rate 4.0% 5.1% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 91.4% 68.4% 94.7%
Guilty Rate 83.7% 39.2% 87.7%
Adjudication Withheld 7.7% 29.1% 7.0%
Diversion Rate 1.7% 24.1% 4.8%
Avg Sentence 1.1 months 2.4 months 24 days
Avg Fine $140.48 $137.50 $161.11
Avg Probation 10.2 months 9.7 months 5.6 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 3.5% with private attorneys (-1.5 point difference). Seminole County's 1.1 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Seminole County 4.0% 5.1% +1.1 pts
Florida (Statewide) 5.0% 3.5% -1.5 pts
Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 2,383 1.0% 1,704 0.6%
Drug Possession 2,548 0.2% 910 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 2,332 0.8% 943 0.4%
Resisting Officer 1,450 1.3% 455 0.9%
Battery 1,055 3.1% 562 1.4%
Other 741 1.5% 641 5.3%
Sex Offense 360 0.8% 485 0.2%
Fraud 474 0.8% 187 0.0%

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In Seminole County, private attorney clients have a 5.1% dismissal rate for Trespassing compared to 4.0% for public defender clients. This is a 1.1 percentage point difference based on 1,026 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Trespassing in Seminole County is 91.4% with a public defender and 68.4% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 5.0% for public defenders and 3.5% for private attorneys. Seminole County's difference of 1.1 points compares to a statewide difference of -1.5 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 · 1,026 cases analyzed · Seminole County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026