Congratulations to Judge Fred Seraphin & Judge Lody Jean on the retention of their seats in Miami Dade County.
Judge Fred Seraphin first answered the call to serve justice over 30 years ago, working as an Assistant Public Defender for Miami-Dade County.
As a victim of injustice in the mid-1980s, Seraphin was wrongfully arrested and falsely accused of a crime he did not commit while studying as a pre-law senior. The experience inspired him to devote his life to social service, the pursuit of justice and his first love and passion at the Public Defender’s office, hired by Bennett Brummer, where he remained for years before starting his practice.
Judge Fred Seraphin was appointed as a County Court Judge by then Governor Jeb Bush becoming the first Haitian American Judge in Miami-Dade County. In 2016 and 2022 he was elected and retained by the voters of Miami-Dade County to continue serving the people.
Judge Lody Jean was appointed to the Miami – Dade County Court on November 16, 2018, by then Governor Rick Scott. She became the first Haitian American Woman to serve on the Miami- Dade County Court. On April 17, 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis elevated Judge Jean to the Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County. She became the first Haitian- American to serve in the Circuit Court. She is currently assigned to the Circuit Criminal Division.
Judge Jean comes from a humble and hardworking family that migrated to Haiti in the early 1900s. Her grandfather of Lebanese descent was born in Brazil, and eventually migrated to Haiti in search of better opportunities. He lived in the countryside of Haiti before moving to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where he owned a modest school uniform fabric shop. The Judge’s father was born in Haiti, where he continued to work and grow his father’s fabric shop. Judge Jean was also born and raised in Haiti. Inspired by her family’s work ethic, the Judge migrated to The United States in 1997 in search of the American Dream.
