Cynthia Imperato

About Cynthia Imperato

Cynthia Imperato has spent a lifetime making difficult decisions with calm, sound judgment and unobtrusive tenacity. A cop, prosecutor, judge, educator, and board member, she volunteered for challenging assignments, mentored young lawyers, and advocated for real-world reforms to make our courts safer and more just. 

She has dedicated herself to public service and to improving the institutions that protect our communities, while demanding their most solemn trust.

Cindy Imperato, as widely known, started her career as a police officer in Tallahassee, where she gained the practical experience that would later inform her approach to cases as a prosecutor and judge. 

She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech, with majors in psychology and sociology; an M.S. from the School of Criminology at Florida State University; and a J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law. 

Her education provided the analytical framework and legal knowledge necessary for handling high-level criminal investigations and prosecutions.

After completing law school, Imperato joined the Office of Statewide Prosecution, where she served for thirteen years as a Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor. In this position, she managed grand jury presentations and led significant prosecutions of multi-jurisdictional organized crime. 

Her caseload ranged from racketeering and homicide to home invasions, narcotics trafficking, white-collar fraud, police corruption, and gang-related violence.

Her work often involved coordinating investigations across county and state lines, which required both strategic vision and meticulous attention to detail. During her tenure, she helped draft and revise Florida’s gang legislation and led the first successful state racketeering prosecution of a street gang. 

As a prosecutor, Imperato enjoyed the opportunity to speak at the Florida Intelligence Unit in 1994 and 1995. She also served as an instructor at the first-ever Multi-Agency Gang Task Force (MAGTF) Conference in 1996. 

This work gave her invaluable experience in presenting intricate evidence before judges and juries while ensuring that prosecutions remained fair and evidence-driven.