Weapons Offense in Hendry County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Hendry County, we compared 36 Weapons Offense cases with public defenders against 15 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Private attorneys achieved a 6.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
36 cases
6.7%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
15 cases
+6.7 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
The data shows private attorneys achieve a 6.7 percentage point higher dismissal rate for Weapons Offense in Hendry County. Get matched with a local defense attorney — free, no obligation.

Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney Self-Represented
Total Cases 36 15 3
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 6.7% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 97.2% 80.0% 66.7%
Guilty Rate 83.3% 80.0% 66.7%
Adjudication Withheld 13.9% 0.0% 0.0%
Diversion Rate 2.8% 6.7% 33.3%
Avg Sentence 3.6 years 3.3 years 0 days
Avg Fine $3,874 $329.17 $350.00
Avg Probation 2.1 years 1 year, 11 months 6.1 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 Weapons Offense is 2.0% with public defenders and 1.6% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Hendry County's 6.7 point difference is above the statewide average.

Location PD Dismissal Private Dismissal Difference
Hendry County 0.0% 6.7% +6.7 pts
Florida (Statewide) 2.0% 1.6% -0.4 pts

Other Charges in Hendry County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 436 0.0% 428 0.0%
Drug Possession 410 0.0% 92 0.0%
Other 160 0.0% 93 0.0%
Battery 170 1.8% 52 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 170 0.6% 43 0.0%
DUI 97 1.0% 105 0.0%
Resisting Officer 128 0.8% 34 0.0%
Trespassing 121 3.3% 24 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Hendry County, private attorney clients have a 6.7% dismissal rate for Weapons Offense compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 6.7 percentage point difference based on 51 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Weapons Offense in Hendry County is 97.2% with a public defender and 80.0% with a private attorney. Conviction includes both guilty findings and adjudication withheld.
Statewide, the dismissal rate is 2.0% for public defenders and 1.6% for private attorneys. Hendry County's difference of 6.7 points compares to a statewide difference of -0.4 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 · 51 cases analyzed · Hendry County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026