Edward Armellino is a zealous advocate working in the firm’s criminal defense division. Edward has a unique ability to extract pertinent facts necessary to prepare a legal defense. He works tirelessly to parse through hundreds of pages of documents in preparation for negotiations, motions, and trial. Edward tried around 20 cases to verdict or mistrial in his career as a Public Defender.
Edward always has his client’s best interests at heart and exhausts all avenues to find the winning strategy. He has high standards for himself, and his self-motivation drives him to succeed for his clients. Growing up as an athlete, Edward is a team player, working best when collaborating with others. Edward joined the firm’s criminal division after years in the Broward County Public Defender’s Office and two plus years in private civil practice. As a Public Defender, he sharpened the necessary skills and gained valuable experience in analyzing and strategizing cases, and he brings a fervor and passion in his representation of the firm’s clients.
In addition to his practice, Edward is also an Adjunct Professor at St. Thomas University College of Law, teaching Criminal Procedure.
Prior Experience
Edward tried numerous cases as a Public Defender ranging from battery and DUI to strong-armed robbery. Edward wrote and argued several creative motions resulting in dismissals for his clients, including a Motion to Dismiss due to entrapment. In one case, Edward successfully argued to the Court that the charges against his client for violating an injunction should be dismissed pursuant to the First Amendment as an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech. He handled countless competency hearings, motions to suppress, and motions to dismiss, as well as hundreds of depositions. In private practice, Edward drafted and collaborated on multiple appellate briefs with favorable results for his clients.In law school, Edward graduated summa cum laude, third in his class, and received eleven (11) CALI Excellence for the Future Awards (Book Awards) for the top grade in each class. He earned Dean’s List Honors in every semester and served as a Judicial Intern to the Honorable Adalberto Jordan in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He also was an Executive Board Member of the St. Thomas Law Review and an Active Learning Instructor in Contracts I and Contracts II. Edward’s article, Animal Politics: Money, Power, & The Endangered Species Act, was published in Volume 40, Issue 1 by the Seton Hall Legislative Journal.
Edward has always devoted time to giving back to the community, including pro bono work assisting returning citizens in re-gaining their right to vote and has also volunteered with the Florida Earth Foundation.
Awards & Recognition
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“Hat Trick Award” for three consecutive not guilty verdicts, Broward Association of Criminal Lawyers (BACDL), 2016
Court Admissions
- Florida, 2015
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 2020