Candidate: Hal Epperson

Judge Hal C. Epperson, Jr. was elected by the people of Osceola County in 2006 to serve as your Osceola County Judge. During the last six years, Judge Epperson has presided over more than 300 criminal jury trials. Judge Epperson received his Juris Doctor Degree, cum laude, from Stetson University College of Law and his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Stetson University. As a Stetson Law student, Judge Epperson excelled academically and was the recipient of the American Jurisprudence Book Award in Constitutional Law, the award bestowed upon the top law student in constitutional law. Additionally, Judge Epperson received the “Best Brief” award for Moot Court and was a finalist in closing argument competition for trial advocacy. After graduating with honors from law school, Judge Epperson returned home to Osceola County and began a distinguished career as a state prosecutor for fifteen years. From 1996 to 2006, Hal Epperson served as the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Osceola County State Attorney’s Office. During those years, Hal Epperson prosecuted virtually every type of crime and was responsible for all of the criminal charging decisions in the county. During his years as a prosecutor, Hal Epperson garnered the respect of his professional peers on both sides of the aisle and was elected President of the Osceola County Bar Association at the age of 29. From 2001 to 2004, Prosecutor Epperson was selected to serve on the Florida Bar Grievance Committee, the committee responsible for the investigation of lawyer misconduct. Epperson was elected Chairman of the Florida Bar Grievance Committee in 2003-2004. Judge Hal Epperson and his family are very involved in the Osceola County community. Judge Epperson serves on the Board of Directors for the Osceola Council on Aging and the Kissimmee Rotary Club. Hal and his family are active members of First Baptist Church, Kissimmee. Judge Epperson’s wife, Melissa, is a school teacher at Heritage Christian School and their son Trey, is a senior in high school. Judge Epperson looks forward to his continued representation of the citizens of Osceola County with a steadfast commitment to protect the rights of all persons who appear before him, including the rights of individual victims and the right of the community to be protected from crime.