Weapons Offense in Marion County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Marion County, we compared 267 Weapons Offense cases with public defenders against 55 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
267 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
55 cases
0.0 pts
Dismissal Rate Difference
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Full Comparison: Public Defender vs Private Attorney

Metric Public Defender Private Attorney
Total Cases 267 55
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0%
Conviction Rate 96.6% 92.7%
Guilty Rate 83.9% 76.4%
Adjudication Withheld 12.7% 16.4%
Diversion Rate 2.2% 3.6%
Avg Sentence 2.9 years 2.3 years
Avg Fine $1,499 $1,322
Avg Probation 2.1 years 2.2 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 Weapons Offense is 2.0% with public defenders and 1.6% with private attorneys (-0.4 point difference). Marion County's 0.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Marion County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Traffic Offense 2,583 0.0% 798 0.0%
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%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Marion County, private attorney clients have a 0.0% dismissal rate for Weapons Offense compared to 0.0% for public defender clients. This is a 0.0 percentage point difference based on 322 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Weapons Offense in Marion County is 96.6% with a public defender and 92.7% 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. Marion County's difference of 0.0 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 · 322 cases analyzed · Marion County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026