Judge Cynthia Imperato of Ft. Lauderdale; serial drunk

The state of Florida presented Cynthia Gelmine Imperator with a law license in 1989 after she graduated from Florida State University Law School.

Over the past thirty-three years (ca. 1981 thru 2014), Cynthia has had her significant snout firmly implanted in the public trough. Apparently, no self-respecting law firm in the greater Fort Lauderdale area was about to offer Cynthia good paying job.

In one matter, Cynthia was arrested late in the evening when she was spotted driving erratically and nearly hit another car in Boca Raton. She was subsequently arrested following a traffic stop on West Palmetto Park Road.

The police report said that an officer spotted Cynthia’s white Mercedes driving erratically. Cynthia had the chutzpah to claim her erratic driving and weaving was due to her use of a cell phone.

According to the police report, the officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from Cynthia’s breath and noted that he eyes were red and glassy, her speech slow and slurred, and her face was red and flush.

Cynthia refused to get out of her car and when the police officer opened her door, she refused to walk to the front of the officer’s car. When Cynthia refused to provide a breath sample, she was arrested.

As one would suspect, this wasn’t Cynthia the Lush’s First bite at the Judicial Misfit Apple Tree. She was previously convicted of driving under the influence that involved property damage or personal injury.

As we speak (ca. January 2015), Cynthia the Lush remains sitting on the bench (while sober only) as a Broward County Circuit Court Judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.