BIOGRAPHY
Honorable Judge Cynthia L. Cox

Judge Cox Pic

EDUCATION

  • Vero Beach High School, 1978
  • Indian River Community College, 1978-1979
  • B.S., Finance & Management, FSU, 1982
  • J.D., Law, Florida State University, 1986
  • Audit, USF & Univ. of Tampa, 1987

JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE

  • Circuit Judge, 19th Judicial Circuit, elected 11/96
  • Family/DV Division, Indian River County, 09-present
  • Felony Criminal Division, St. Lucie County, 08-09
  • Family/DV Division, St. Lucie County, 97-02, 04-08
  • Administrative Judge, Family Division, 99-02, 04-06
  • Felony Criminal Division, Indian River County, 02-04
  • Drug Court Judge, Indian River County, 02-06
  • Drug Court Judge, St. Lucie County, 08-09
  • Mental Health Court Judge, St. Lucie County, 06-present
  • Appellate Panel, 01 - present
  • Associate Judge, 4th District Court of Appeal, WPB, 1999
  • Acting County Judge, Domestic Violence Court, St. Lucie County, 01 – 03

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

  • Law Clerk: William W. Corry, Tallahassee, FL; Benjamin K. Phipps, Tallahassee; Mark Levine, Tallahassee, FL; First District Court of Appeal; Florida Legislature, 80-86
  • Attorney: Isphording, Korp, Muirhead, Haworth & White, Chartered, Sarasota & Venice, FL, 86-88; Cynthia L. Cox, P.A., Vero Beach, FL 88-96
  • Adjunct Professor: IRCC, 1990 Member, Florida Bar, 10/21/86
  • Member, U.S. District Court, Middle District, 4/24/87

OTHER JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE

      St. Lucie County:
    • Started Night Court in the Family Division
    • Set up Compliance Programs for DV Court
    • Created and began SLC Domestic Violence Diversion Court (DVDP)
    • Nationwide Day in Court Ride-A-Longs for elected officials
      19th Circuit:
    • Mentor Judge, 2004-present
    • Judicial Chair, DV Task Force, 98-01
    • Chair, Family Law Advisory Group, 99-01, 04-08
    • Chair, Supervised Visitation Committee, 98-01, 04-08
    • Co-Chair, Pro Bono & Professionalism Committees, 99-01
    • Member, 19th Circuit’s Budget & Oversight Committees, 00-01
    • Member, Appellate Panel, 01 – Present
    • Member, SLC Mental Health Diversion Workgroup, 06-present
    • Member, SLC Reentry Program Committee, 07- present
    • Created DV Law Enforcement Training & Materials
    • Created & Implemented IRC Drug Court 2002
      Florida:
    • Team Leader, Statewide Conference on Pro Se Litigation Member, Summit on Redefining Florida’s Family Courts
    • Member, Supervised Visitation Workgroup of the FCSC’s Model Courts Subcommittee
    • Member, Masters & Hearings Workshop for Committee on Trial Court Performance & Accountability of JMC
    • Volunteer, Supreme Court of Florida Justice Teaching, 2007-present

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

      Legal:
    • Sarasota County Bar Association, 86-88; Chair, Legislative Committee & Editor of "Legislative Update" of the SCBA Newsletter, The Docket & Young Lawyer Section
    • Venice-Englewood Bar Association, 86-88
    • Indian River County Bar Association, 89-present; Former Member of Board of Directors, Domestic Violence Task Force Liaison, Law Week Committee, Bench/Bar Liaison
    • St. Lucie County Bar Association, 97-present; Bench/Bar Committee
    • Florida Association of Women Lawyers, 87-97
    • Sarasota & Treasure Coast Chapters (Speaker’s Committee Sarasota Chapter)
    • Florida Bar Association, 86-present
    • Committees: Fee Arbitration, Lawyer Referral Services, Relations Between CPA’s & Attorneys, Special Needs of Children & Support Issues 86-97
    • Sections: Banking & Corporate, Business Law, General Practice, Marital & Family Law, Real Property Probate & Trust & Trial Lawyers 86-97
    • Family Law Section Committees: Timesharing, Support Issues, Children’s Issues & Domestic Violence 05-09
    • Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 86-97 Legislative Key Contact, Membership Committee & Commercial Litigation Section
    • American Bar Association, 89-97
    • Sections: Corporation, Banking & Business Law, General Practice, Tort & Insurance, Real Property, Probate & Trust; Taxation & Young Lawyers
    • Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 87-97
    • American Judge’s Association, 97-02
    • Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, 97-present
    • Florida Board of Bar Examiners Character & Fitness Commission, 08–present
      Non-Legal:
    • Chamber of Commerce/Indian River County, 1996
    • Character Counts Coalition of IRC, 97-present,
    • Fairness Committee DOVES for Safespace, 89-90
    • Downtown Vero Beach Association, 95-97
    • Exchange Club of Indian River, 89-97
    • Exchange Club of Sarasota-Bradenton, 86-88 (Charter Member & Secretary 87-88)
    • Gulf Coast Eye Foundation Board Member, 87-88
    • Kids Town, Board, 88-89
    • March of Dimes Walkamerica Steering Committee, 89-90
    • National Organization for Women, 1996
    • New Leaders Council, 87-88
    • New Directions/American Cancer Society, 88-91
    • Oak Villas Condominium Association, Board Member & Treasurer, 94-96
    • Seminole Boosters, Inc., 82-present
    • Seminole Boosters of Indian River, 89-00, 04-present
    • The Volunteer Center, 1987
    • Treasure Coast Women, 1989
    • Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast, Board Member, 95-present
    • VNA Hospice, Board Member & Past Chairperson, 90-96
    • Certified Arbitrator, 5/31/91
    • Certified Family Mediator, 7/21/95
    • Attorney Ad Litem, 89-97
    • Guardian Ad Litem, 89-97
      Author:
    • "Domestic Violence & Children," Florida Parenting News, 11/00
    • “A View From The Bench," Bench & Bar Visitation Report, Spring, 01
    • "So, You’ve Been Called To Testify," Supervised Visitation Networker, Spring 01
    • “The Guardian Ad Litem Program, A Powerful Voice For Children," Florida Parenting News, 5/01
    • "What Family Judges Really Want To Hear," Family Law Commentator, Fall 2002
      Awards/Commendation:
    • Chief Justice’s Commendation, Florida Supreme Court, For Service to the Public, 2004
    • MADD, Appreciation for Service & Dedication to the War Against Drugs, 2004
    • Nominee, Soroptomist Intl of St. Lucie "Women of Distinction" Award, 2001
    • Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Award, 19th Circuit 1996
      Frequent Lecturer:
    • Judicial Panel, 30th Annual Institute, Florida AAML, 2008
    • Justice Teaching Institute, 2007 – present
    • CIT Graduation Speaker, 2007 - present
    • 19th Circuit’s Professionalism Seminar, 97-01
    • 19th Circuit’s Family Law Seminar, 99-01
    • Family Law Update (quarterly CLE presentation), 97-02, 04-09
    • 19th Circuit’s Domestic Violence Summit, 2003 & 2005
    • Domestic Violence for Law Enforcement, 99-08
    • Guardian Ad Litem training for 19th Circuit, 97-02
    • 19th Circuit’s Mediation Summit, 2001
    • Treasure Coast Paralegal Association, 2001 & 2007
    • St. Lucie-Okeechobee Medical Associations, CME, 2001 & 2006