Candidate: Hal Epperson, Jr.

Judge Hal C. Epperson, Jr. was elected by the people of Osceola County in 2006 to serve as your Osceola County Judge and was re-elected in 2012.  During the last twelve years, Judge Epperson has served on both the County Criminal and County Civil bench and has presided over hundreds of jury trials.  Judge Epperson currently hears all county civil cases and serves as the Administrative Judge, overseeing all Osceola County Courts.  Additionally, the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court appointed Judge Epperson to serve as a judicial mentor for newly elected judges in the Ninth Judicial Circuit. 

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, an honor bestowed upon the top law school 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 in 1991, Judge Epperson returned home to Osceola County and began a distinguished career as a state prosecutor.  From 1996 to 2006, Judge Epperson served as the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Osceola County State Attorney's Office.  During those years of service, Judge Epperson prosecuted virtually every type of criminal case and was responsible for all of the criminal charging decisions in Osceola County.  As an attorney, Judge Epperson garnered the respect of his professional peers on both sides of the aisle and was elected Osceola County Bar President.  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.  Prosecutor Epperson was elected Chairman of the Grievance Committee in 2003-2004.

Judge 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 also active members of the First Baptist Church of Kissimmee.  Judge Epperson and his wife Melissa, who was born and raised in Kissimmee, have been married for 27 years.  They will soon be grandparents as their son, Trey, and his wife, Candace, are expecting the birth of their first child in June, 2018.