Candidate: Clarissa Harrell

Clarissa Harrell has been a state prosecutor for 12 years of her 30-year trial attorney career in Brevard, serving for the last five years in the State Attorney's Office Career Criminal & Firearms Unit.  She works closely with law enforcement officers from all Brevard police agencies to put violent, repeat offenders and those who have committed crimes against children behind bars. 

As a litigator in felony court every day, she prosecutes drug traffickers, murderers, felons illegally possessing firearms, and offenders who have shot or battered Brevard law enforcement officers and other Brevard citizens, among many other kinds of serious and complex cases.   Links to some specific cases she has handled can be found on the Legal Experience page of HarrellForJudge.com.

In addition to criminal prosecution, over the course of her long career Clarissa has also gained valuable courtroom experience in civil litigation, family law,  and child welfare law, giving her a well-rounded background to prepare her for all types of cases she might be called upon to handle as a judge.

On April 18, 2024, State Attorney Phil Archer, the State Attorney for the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit encompassing Brevard and Seminole Counties, formally endorsed Clarissa for the position of County Court Judge.

Clarissa is a former President of the Brevard County Bar Association, elected by her peers to lead this organization comprised of hundreds of Brevard attorneys.  She has been active in a multitude of community and professional activities over her career, all of which are detailed on the Community and Professional Engagement tabs on the HarrellForJudge.com website.  Her educational background and achievements are also described on that site.

Clarissa and her husband Gary, an Army Veteran and retired Brevard County Sheriff's Office homicide detective, have been married 26 years and have reared six children together in this county, all of whom are now adults with successful careers and families of their own.  Clarissa was born at Cape Canaveral Hospital and graduated from Palm Bay High School.  Her late father Brad worked as an engineer at Kennedy Space Center and her mother Betty, who raised her, served as a Brevard public school teacher for 38 years.

Commitment to public safety and to the rule of law underpin Clarissa's work as a prosecutor and her judicial goals.  She strongly believes in following the law as set forth in our state and federal Constitutions and in our statutes, and she strongly opposes the concept of "legislating from the bench."

She is from a public safety focused family, growing up as part of an Air Force family and marrying into an Army family.  There are 11 active and retired military service members in Clarissa's extended family, including her step son Tyler, a former Army Ranger, and her active-duty Army 82nd Airborne son Brad.  There are six active or retired law enforcement officers in her extended family, including Tyler, who currently serves as an investigative Agent working for Sheriff Wayne Ivey at the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

Clarissa's long-term work in the court system and her extensive life experience have given her valuable perspective on the complex life circumstances that bring citizens into Brevard courtrooms.  She recognizes the importance of how sound, well-considered judicial decisions help bring necessary order, peace, and stability to litigants' lives.  

Thirty years of intense career experiences in the courtroom combined with a lifetime of community connection and involvement invest Clarissa with the knowledge and skills required to perform the work of a County Court Judge at the highest level.