1. Judicial Directory
  2. Judge Cynthia L. Cox

Judge Cynthia L. Cox

Assignment

Indian River: All Domestic Relations Cases; including Injunctions for Protection; Assist with Mental Health
Court/Veterans’ Court.

Administrative Judge, Domestic Relations Division/Unified Family Court

Biography

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 November, 1996
  • Civil Division, Indian River County 2011-2015
  • Family/DV Division, Indian River County 2009-2011; 2019-Present; St. Lucie County 1997-2002, 2004-2008
  • Administrative Judge, Domestic Relations Division/Unified Family Court 1999-2002, 2004-2006; 2019-Present
  • Felony Criminal Division, St. Lucie County 2008-2009; Indian River County 2002-2004, 2016-2019
  • Drug Court Judge, Indian River County 2002-2006; St. Lucie County 2008-2009
  • Mental Health Court Judge, St. Lucie County 2006-2019; Indian River County 2015-2019
  • Administrative Judge, Mental Health Courts 2006-2019
  • Veterans Treatment Court Judge, Indian River County 2016-2019
  • Appellate Panel, 2001 - present
  • Associate Judge, 4th District Court of Appeal, WPB, 1999
  • Domestic Violence Diversion Judge/Acting County Judge, St. Lucie County 2001-2003

Legal Experience

  • Law Clerk: William W. Corry, Tallahassee, FL; Benjamin K. Phipps, Tallahassee; Mark Levine, Tallahassee, FL; First District Court of Appeal; Florida Legislature, 1980-1986
  • Attorney: Isphording, Korp, Muirhead, Haworth & White, Chartered, Sarasota & Venice, FL, 1986-1988; Cynthia L. Cox, P.A., Vero Beach, FL 1988-1996
  • Adjunct Professor: IRCC, 1990
  • Member, Florida Bar, October 21, 1986
  • Member, U.S. District Court, Middle District, April 24, 1987

Other Judicial Experience

19th Circuit:

  • Judicial Chair, DV Task Force, 1998-2001
  • Chair, Supervised Visitation Committee, 1998-2001, 2004-2008
  • Chair, Family Law Advisory Group, 1999-2001, 2004-2008
  • Co-Chair, Pro Bono & Professionalism Committees, 1999-2001
  • Member, 19th Circuit’s Budget & Oversight Committees, 2000-2001
  • Member, Appellate Panel, 2001-present>
  • Implemented IRC Drug Court 2002
  • Mentor Judge, 2004-2010
  • Implemented Mental Health Court, 2006
  • Member, SLC Mental Health Diversion Workgroup, 2006-present
  • Member, SLC Reentry Program Committee, 2007- 2015
  • Implemented IRC Mental Health Court 2015
  • Created and began Night Court in the Family Division
  • Set up Compliance Programs for Domestic Violence Court
  • Created and began SLC Domestic Violence Diversion Court (DVDP)
  • Implemented Nationwide Day in Court
  • Implemented Ride-A-Longs for elected officials
  • Created DV Law Enforcement & CPT Training & Materials

Florida:

  • Member, Supervised Visitation Workgroup of the FCSC’s Model Courts Subcommittee, 1998-2000
  • Team Leader, Statewide Conference on Pro Se Litigation Member, Summit on Redefining Florida’s Family Courts, 2000
  • Member, Masters & Hearings Workshop for Committee on Trial Court Performance & Accountability of JMC, 2001
  • Member, Domestic Violence Pilot Project, 2002
  • Volunteer, Supreme Court of Florida Justice Teaching, 2007-present
  • Member, Character & Fitness Commission, Florida Bd. of Bar Examiners, 2008-2010
  • Judicial Faculty Training, Florida Judicial College, 2011
  • Foreclosure Caselaw Update, Email list for attorneys and judges, 2011-2016
  • Member,Commission on Trial Court Performance Management Workgroup, FSCC on Trial Court Performance & Accountability, 2014 – present

Community Involvement

Legal:

  • Florida Bar Association, 1986-present

    Committees: Fee Arbitration, Lawyer Referral Services, Relations Between CPA’s & Attorneys, Special Needs of Children & Support Issues 1986-1997

    Sections: Banking & Corporate, Business Law, General Practice, Marital & Family Law, Real Property Probate & Trust & Trial Lawyers 1986-1997

  • Sarasota County Bar Association, 1986-1988; Chair, Legislative Committee & Editor of "Legislative Update" of the SCBA Newsletter, The Docket & Young Lawyer Section
  • Venice-Englewood Bar Association, 1986-1988
  • Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1986-1997 Legislative Key Contact, Membership Committee & Commercial Litigation Section
  • Florida Association of Women Lawyers, 1987-1997
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1987-1997
  • Indian River County Bar Association, 1989-present; Former Member of Board of Directors, Domestic Violence Task Force Liaison, Law Week Committee, Bench/Bar Liaison
  • American Bar Association, 1989-1997 Sections: Corporation, Banking & Business Law, General Practice, Tort & Insurance, Real Property, Probate & Trust; Taxation & Young Lawyers
  • Attorney Ad Litem, 1989-1997
  • Guardian Ad Litem, 1989-1997
  • Certified Arbitrator, May 31, 1991
  • Certified Family Mediator, July 21, 1995
  • St. Lucie County Bar Association, 1997-present; Bench/Bar Committee
  • Florida Conference of Circuit Judges, 1997-present
  • American Judge’s Association, 1997-2002
  • Florida Bar Referee, 2000-present
  • Family Law Section Committees: Timesharing, Support Issues, Children’s Issues & Domestic Violence 2005-2009
  • Justice Teaching Coordinator & Select Committee, 19th Circuit, 2009-present
  • Justice Major B. Harding American Inns of Court, 2012-2013, 2015-2016
  • Sarasota & Treasure Coast Chapters (Speaker’s Committee, Sarasota Chapter)
  • Moot Court Competition Judge, 2013, 2017
  • National Association of Court Management, 2014-2015
  • Graduate, National Computer Forensics Institute, 2016

Non-Legal:

  • Seminole Boosters, Inc., 1982-2010
  • Exchange Club of Sarasota-Bradenton, 1986-1988  
  • Gulf Coast Eye Foundation, Board Member, 1987-1988
  • New Leaders Council, 1987-1988
  • The Volunteer Center, 1987
  • Kids Town, Board, 1988-1989
  • New Directions/American Cancer Society, 1988-1991
  • March of Dimes Walkamerica Steering Committee, 1989-1990
  • Fairness Committee DOVES for Safespace, 1989-1990
  • Exchange Club of Indian River, 1989-1997
  • Treasure Coast Women, 1989
  • VNA Hospice, Board Member & Past Chairperson, 1990-1996
  • Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast, Board Member, 1995-present
  • Downtown Vero Beach Association, 1995-1997
  • Chamber of Commerce/Indian River County, 1996
  • Character Counts Coalition of IRC, 1997-2008
  • Indian River County Mental Health Collaborative, 2009-present
  • Florida Partners In Crisis, 2010-2014
  • Impact 100, 2011-2014

Author:

  • "Domestic Violence & Children," Florida Parenting News, November 2000
  • “A View From The Bench," Bench & Bar Visitation Report, Spring 2001
  • "So, You’ve Been Called To Testify," Supervised Visitation Networker, Spring 2001
  • “The Guardian Ad Litem Program, A Powerful Voice For Children," Florida Parenting News, May 2001
  • "What Family Judges Really Want To Hear," Family Law Commentator, Fall 2002
  • “Responses to the Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis in Florida: Opening a New Chapter in 2015,” Friendly Passages, July-August 2015 (co-author with Judge Shields McManus)
  • “Our Constitution is Being Revised; Here’s Why It Matters,”  Guest columnist, TC Palm/USA Today, March 28, 2018

Awards/Commendation:

  • Florida State University Law Review, Production Assistant, 1985
  • Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Award, 19th Circuit, 1996
  • Nominee, Soroptomist Intl of St. Lucie "Women of Distinction" Award, 2001
  • Chief Justice’s Commendation, Florida Supreme Court, For Service to the Public, 2004
  • MADD, Appreciation for Service & Dedication to the War Against Drugs, 2004
  • Justice Education Award, 2009
  • Iris Award, NAMI Indian River County, 2015
  • Legion of Honor Bronze Medallion, The Chapel of Four Chaplains, 2015
  • Chief Justice’s Distinguished Judicial Service Award, 2016

Frequent Lecturer:

  • Family Law Update (quarterly CLE presentation), 1997-2002, 2004-2010 
  • 19th Circuit’s Professionalism Bench/Bar Conference, 1997-present
  • Guardian Ad Litem Training for 19th Circuit, 1997-2002
  • Domestic Violence for Law Enforcement, 1998-2008; 2009-2011
  • 19th Circuit’s Family Law Seminar, 1999-2001
  • 19th Circuit’s Mediation Summit, 2001
  • St. Lucie-Okeechobee Medical Associations, CME, 2001 & 2006
  • Treasure Coast Paralegal Association, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013
  • Judicial Panel, Florida AAML Annual Institute, 2003, 2008 & 2009
  • 19th Circuit’s Domestic Violence Summit, 2003 & 2005
  • Policy and Child Advisory Council, 2004
  • Citizens Advisory Group, 2005
  • Justice Teaching Institute, 2007-present
  • CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) Graduation Speaker, 2007-2014
  • Florida Partners In Crisis SAMH Reinvestment Grant Conference, 2010
  • Association of Family Law Professionals, 2010
  • Florida Partners In Crisis SAMH Reinvestment Conference, 2010
  • Florida Partners in Crisis Justice Institute, 2011 (Putting the Plan Together for your Circuit: Interactive Small Group Strategic Planning Panel with Judges Speiser & Leifman)
  • NBI Civil Court Judicial Forum Panel, 2012
  • Florida Judicial College, Circuit Civil Fundamentals, 2014
  • Civility Matters (ABOTA), Indian River County Bar Association, 2014
  • Indian River County Sheriff's Citizens Academy, 2015-2018
  • Justice Teaching Training, 2016
  • Indian River County Bar Association, Justice Teaching, 2016
  • Make Your Voice Count, 2016
  • Faith & Justice Symposium, 2016
  • Lunafest, Domestic Violence, 2016
  • United For Poverty (UP) Symposium on Poverty & Justice Reform, 2017
  • Constitution Revision - Protect Florida Democracy, 2017-2018
  • Your Courts Up Close, 2018
Additional Information

Family Hearings and Trials shall be held REMOTELY until Further Notice
Instructions for Zoom Hearings
Zoom Do’s and Don’ts
FSC AO20-23(8)
Representing Yourself in Remote Hearings

Notice to the Public

The Code of Judicial Conduct governing behavior by judges forbids Judge Cox from discussing court cases or legal issues with the public. Please do not call expecting to speak with Judge Cox about any case or for procedural or legal instruction. If you have a comment to make or a request for relief (which must be in motion form), please mail it to the Clerk's Office at 2000 – 16th Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. However, the Court is only allowed to consider arguments made in the courtroom and in documents properly filed by actual parties in the case as authorized by law and the Rules of Court. The Court cannot ethically read or consider any other opinions or arguments about a case. Communications that do not meet these legal requirements cannot be forwarded to the Judge.

Please note that this office does not accept ex-parte e-mails. Copies of all e-mails sent to this office also must be sent to all opposing counsel/parties in the case. All proposed Orders must be emailed in Word format at least 5 days prior to your hearing with the style & date of hearing in the SUBJECT LINE and all known email addresses for service. Courtcall must be arranged at least 5 business days in advance or your attorney must appear in person.

Procedure to Schedule Hearings is as Follow

  1. Log on to https://slccjis.stlucieco.gov/attorney_calendar You must register to obtain your user id and password on the site;
  2. Click on case Scheduling;
  3. Enter County, Judge Cox’s name, month & year in drop down fields;
  4. Hit Available Hearing Time: View button and a screen will opening showing all available hearing times;
  5. You need to look for available dates/time under motions hearing.

You need to view available dates, coordinate with opposing counsel/parties and up to 30 minutes, schedule online. If over 30 minutes, e-mail to whiteh@circuit19.org the date/time agreed upon, motion to be heard, name of attorney and how much time is set for the hearing. All motions and notices, must be provided, as well as an email with the proposed Order in word format with the subject: style & date of hearing at least FIVE days prior to the hearing. Failure to comply with our procedures will cancel your hearing!

Large Format Display

For reservations, please be sure to go to the AV-Request page and select the “Reserve Here” button. Then fill out the form & hit the submit button.

All notices and motions must be received by mail or emailed (whiteh@circuit19.org) and ALL proposed orders must be emailed in Word format at least 5 days prior to the hearing.