About Cynthia Imperato

Cynthia Imperato has spent her professional life working in roles that demand fairness, careful decision-making, and public trust. Her career as a cop, prosecutor, judge, educator, and board member reflects decades of consistent service. Whether handling complex cases, teaching new lawyers, or contributing to community organizations, she relied on practical experience and a commitment to helping institutions function responsibly.

Early Experience and Academic Preparation

She began her career as a police officer in Tallahassee. This early work gave her direct exposure to the challenges faced by law enforcement and helped shape her methodical approach to legal cases. She completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Virginia Tech, majoring in psychology and sociology. She continued her education with an M.S. from the School of Criminology at Florida State University and later earned her J.D. from the College of Law. These academic foundations prepared her to navigate criminal investigations, legal analysis, and courtroom advocacy at a high level.

Transition Into Statewide Prosecution

After completing law school, Cindy Imperato joined the Office of Statewide Prosecution. For thirteen years, she served as a Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor, managing grand jury presentations and prosecuting multi-jurisdictional organized crime. Her cases included racketeering, homicide, narcotics trafficking, home invasions, white-collar fraud, police corruption, and gang-related violence. She frequently coordinated with investigators and agencies across county and state lines, a responsibility that required precise planning and a clear understanding of the law.

During her work in statewide prosecution, she helped draft and revise Florida’s gang legislation. She also led the first successful state racketeering prosecution of a street gang. She presented 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 speaking roles strengthened her ability to explain complex evidence clearly while maintaining fairness in the process.

Judicial Appointment and Service

In January 2003, Governor Bush appointed Cynthia Imperato to the Circuit Court bench. She served in this role for thirteen years before retiring in 2016. Her responsibilities included criminal cases and significant involvement in statewide judicial education. Cindy trained members of Judicial Nominating Committees, chaired the Judicial Nominating Criminal Procedures Committee, and contributed to rule-making as part of the Criminal Rules Committee. Her colleagues often sought her insight on evidentiary and procedural matters because of her broad trial experience.

In 2006, she spoke at the 82nd Boot Camp graduation and was honored with a Community Service Award from all minority Bar Associations in the state. She served on the Florida Judicial College video faculty and taught workshops on probation violations, jury instructions, and capital caseload management. Her judicial philosophy emphasized fairness, careful preparation, and respect toward everyone who entered the courtroom.

Contributions to Legal Education and Scholarship

Teaching has been a significant part of Imperato’s career. She served nearly two decades as an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University’s College of Law, where she taught Criminal Pretrial Practice. Earlier in her professional life, she taught criminal justice courses at Tallahassee Community College. She also presented at state and national conferences on topics including 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 criminology discussions.

Leadership Within Professional Organizations

Cindy is active in professional legal communities. 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 served as President of the St. Thomas More Society of Broward County from 2012 to 2014. Her committee roles include work with the Florida Bar Criminal Law Section, the Executive Council for the Criminal Law Section, the Criminal Rules Committee, and the Professionalism Committee for the 17th Judicial Circuit. These responsibilities allowed her to help improve curriculum, jury instruction supplements, and resources for legal professionals.

Service Beyond the Courtroom

Cynthia Imperato extended her commitment to public service through her work on nonprofit and advisory boards. She served on the American Red Cross, the Broward County Crime Commission advisory board, the PACE Center for Girls advisory board, and the Fort Lauderdale Pre-Law Magnate Program advisory board. She was also involved with Women in Distress and Covenant House, organizations that support families and at-risk youth. Her work emphasized prevention, community engagement, and improving access to support for people facing difficult circumstances.