Cynthia Imperato has built a career defined by disciplined judgment and a deep respect for public service. Her work as a cop, prosecutor, judge, educator, and board member reflects a lifelong effort to strengthen the institutions that serve communities. Throughout her career, she accepted complex responsibilities, mentored young professionals, and supported reforms to improve fairness and safety within the legal system.
Early Law Enforcement Experience and Academic Path
She began her professional journey as a police officer in Tallahassee. The lessons learned through daily patrol work helped shape her understanding of how law enforcement interacts with the justice system. This early experience motivated her to deepen her study of criminal behavior, legal procedure, and courtroom practice.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech, where she majored in psychology and sociology. She went on to complete an M.S. at the School of Criminology at Florida State University, followed by a J.D. from the College of Law. These degrees gave her the analytical tools and legal training necessary to handle complex criminal cases and prepare for her future roles in prosecution and judicial service.
Leadership in Statewide Prosecution
After graduating from law school, Cindy Imperato joined the Office of Statewide Prosecution. For thirteen years, she served as a Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor, handling grand jury presentations and significant prosecutions involving multi-jurisdictional organized crime. Her caseload included racketeering, homicide, narcotics trafficking, home invasions, white-collar fraud, police corruption, and gang-related violence. Many of these investigations required coordination with agencies across county and state boundaries, demanding strong organization and attention to detail.
During her tenure, she helped draft and revise Florida’s gang legislation. She also led the first successful state racketeering prosecution of a street gang, a significant milestone in statewide criminal enforcement. As part of her professional contributions, Imperato spoke at the Florida Intelligence Unit in 1994 and 1995 and served as an instructor at the first Multi-Agency Gang Task Force Conference in 1996. These experiences strengthened her ability to explain complex evidence and legal strategies to varied audiences.
Service on the Circuit Court Bench
In January 2003, Governor Bush appointed Cynthia Imperato to the Circuit Court bench. She served in this position for thirteen years before retiring in 2016. Her work included managing criminal cases and contributing to statewide judicial education initiatives. Cindy trained members of Judicial Nominating Committees, chaired the Judicial Nominating Criminal Procedures Committee, and participated in statewide rule-making as a member of the Criminal Rules Committee. Because of her extensive trial experience, colleagues often relied on her for guidance on evidentiary and procedural matters.
In 2006, Imperato delivered remarks at the 82nd Boot Camp graduation and received a Community Service Award from all minority Bar Associations in Florida. She also served on the Florida Judicial College video faculty, where she helped train new judges and presented workshops on probation violations, jury instructions, and capital caseload management. Her judicial approach centered on fairness, consistency, and respect toward all participants in the courtroom.
Longstanding Dedication to Teaching and Scholarship
Education remained central to Imperato’s career. For nearly two decades, she served as an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Law, teaching Criminal Pretrial Practice. Earlier in her career, she taught criminal justice at Tallahassee Community College. She also delivered presentations at state and national conferences on organized crime, street gangs, white-collar fraud, diversity in the judiciary, and evidentiary standards.
Her 1993 publication, An Assessment of Florida Gangs and Recommendations for Law Enforcement, appeared in Women Police Magazine and continues to be referenced in discussions involving gang behavior and law enforcement strategy.
Leadership Across Professional Organizations
Cindy has participated in several legal and judicial organizations. She is a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers and a former member of the Broward County Bar and Women Lawyers Associations. She served as President of the Stephen R. Booher Inn of Court from 2008 to 2009 and later as President of the St. Thomas More Society of Broward County from 2012 to 2014. Her leadership roles include the Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, the Executive Council of the Criminal Law Section, the Criminal Rules Committee, and the Professionalism Committee for the 17th Judicial Circuit.
These positions allowed her to contribute to curriculum development, jury instruction supplements, and professional resources for judges and litigators across the state.
Community Service and Broader Impact
Beyond the courtroom and classroom, Cynthia Imperato contributed to nonprofit and advisory boards, including the American Red Cross, the Broward County Crime Commission advisory board, the PACE Center for Girls advisory board, Women in Distress, Covenant House, and the Fort Lauderdale Pre-Law Magnate Program advisory board. Her work in these organizations focused on prevention, youth support, and helping underserved individuals access the resources they needed.
Her service has been recognized with honors, including Outstanding Women of Broward County, the Miami Herald Outstanding Leader Award, a President’s Volunteer Service Award, Humanitarian of the Year, and a Superior Public Service Award.
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