Vehicle Theft in Polk County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Polk County, we compared 144 Vehicle Theft cases with public defenders against 60 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
144 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
60 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 144 60 78
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 94.4% 96.7% 98.7%
Guilty Rate 84.7% 73.3% 82.1%
Adjudication Withheld 9.7% 23.3% 16.7%
Diversion Rate 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Avg Sentence 1 year, 8 months 1 year, 5 months 2.3 years
Avg Fine $444.05 $805.63 $345.41
Avg Probation 2.6 years 3.0 years 2.8 years

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 Vehicle Theft is 1.1% with public defenders and 1.6% with private attorneys (0.5 point difference). Polk County's 0.0 point difference is below the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Polk County 0.0% 0.0% 0.0 pts
Florida (Statewide) 1.1% 1.6% +0.5 pts

Other Charges in Polk County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 5,606 0.1% 2,094 0.0%
Traffic Offense 2,995 0.4% 1,336 0.2%
Larceny / Theft 2,316 0.9% 989 0.1%
Resisting Officer 2,052 1.6% 797 0.3%
Battery 1,765 2.2% 823 0.4%
Other 1,332 8.8% 803 1.6%
Trespassing 1,222 6.3% 304 0.0%
DUI 699 1.6% 641 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Polk County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Vehicle Theft compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 204 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Vehicle Theft in Polk County is 94.4% with a public defender and 96.7% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 1.1% for public defenders and 1.6% for private attorneys. Polk County's difference of 0.0 points compares to a statewide difference of 0.5 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 · 204 cases analyzed · Polk County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026