Judge Cynthia Imperato retired from the Circuit Court Bench after thirteen years of service. She was appointed to the Circuit Court Bench in January of 2003 by Governor Bush. During her years on the bench, Judge Imperato has been an instructor at the Conference of Circuit Court Judges, involved in judicial education, trained Judicial Nominating Committee members and taught at various Judges conferences. Judge Imperato chaired the Judicial Nominating Criminal Procedures Committee, was a member of the Criminal Rules Committee, and is currently on Executive Council for the Criminal Law Section of the Florida Bar. Previously, Judge Imperato was a Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor with the Office of Statewide Prosecution where she was employed for thirteen years.
As a prosecutor, Judge Imperato was responsible for statewide grand jury presentations and the prosecution of multi-jurisdictional organized crime involving racketeering, homicides, home invasion robberies, drug trafficking, white-collar fraud, police corruption, and street gang violence. In addition to her law degree, she also has a Master’s Degree in Criminology from Florida State University. Judge Imperato was an adjunct professor at Nova Law School where she taught Criminal Pre-Trial Practice for the past 19 years. While living in Tallahassee, she was a Criminal Justice Instructor at Tallahassee Community College.
Judge Imperato has lectured nationally in seminars involving diversity on the bench, white collar fraud, street gangs, and organized crime. She has published an article regarding street gangs in Florida. Judge Imperato is a member of the Law School Liaison, Professionalism, Criminal Law and Bench and Bar Committees of the Broward County Bar Association. Judge Imperato is a former Tallahassee Police Officer who was actively involved in creating and updating gang legislation and prosecuted the first state racketeering case against a street gang. She was a member of the Multi-Agency Gang Task Force of Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade Counties.
Judge Imperato was the President of the St. Thomas More Society of Broward County. She is a past Board of Director Chair and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter Level Tiffany Circle Member for the American Red Cross Broward County Chapter. Currently she serves as the Chair of the Philanthropy and Dine & Dock Committee. In addition, she is on the Advisory Board of Broward County Crime Commission, Women in Distress and the PACE school for Girls.
