Weapons Offense in Pinellas County — Public Defender vs Private Attorney

In Pinellas County, we compared 53 Weapons Offense cases with public defenders against 26 cases with private attorneys (2023-2025). Both counsel types had similar dismissal rates.

0.0%
PD Dismissal Rate
53 cases
0.0%
Private Attorney Dismissal Rate
26 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 53 26 1,171
Dismissal Rate 0.0% 0.0% 2.1%
Conviction Rate 56.6% 84.6% 93.9%
Guilty Rate 43.4% 69.2% 80.7%
Adjudication Withheld 13.2% 15.4% 13.2%
Diversion Rate 7.5% 7.7% 3.3%
Avg Sentence 5.5 years 3.4 years 4.1 years
Avg Fine $135.06 $132.83 $179.70
Avg Probation 2.4 years 3.0 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). Pinellas County's 0.0 point difference is above the statewide average.

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

Other Charges in Pinellas County

Charge PD Cases PD Dismissal Private Cases Private Dismissal
Drug Possession 1,043 0.0% 405 0.0%
Battery 423 0.5% 174 0.6%
DUI 275 0.0% 279 0.7%
Traffic Offense 192 0.0% 208 0.0%
Larceny / Theft 234 0.0% 123 2.4%
Other 137 0.0% 117 0.0%
Resisting Officer 146 0.0% 68 0.0%
Sex Offense 105 2.9% 102 0.0%

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Frequently Asked Questions

In Pinellas 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 79 cases. However, correlation is not causation — private attorney clients may have different case characteristics.
The conviction rate for Weapons Offense in Pinellas County is 56.6% with a public defender and 84.6% 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. Pinellas 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 · 79 cases analyzed · Pinellas County · 2023-2025 · Data last updated March 2026