Continuing our Profiles in Service series, today we invite you to #GetToKnow Judge Luis Perez-Medina.
Appointed to the County Court bench in 2018 by then-Governor Rick Scott, Judge Perez-Medina has presided over a high-volume County Civil division, handling small claims, landlord‑tenant matters, and personal injury protection cases. He is widely respected for his strong work ethic, professionalism, and consistent courtesy to all who appear before him – a testament to his judicial philosophy: apply the law as written, safeguard constitutional rights, treat everyone with dignity, and ensure justice is accessible, fair, and impartial.
That philosophy traces back to his earliest years in the United States. Born in Havana, Cuba, he was 8 years old when he arrived in Miami with his family in the late 1960s through the Freedom Flights, all of them harboring great hopes for a new life in a country guided by the rule of law.
After a brief stay in New York City, the family returned to Miami, where they made their permanent home. Judge Perez-Medina attended Miami-Dade public schools and later worked in his family’s insurance and construction businesses while pursuing intermittent undergraduate studies, often balancing work, school, and family responsibilities.
His interest in the rule of law grew stronger during his elected service on the Miami-Dade Community Council for District 10. Inspired by this firsthand experience in public service, he decided to complete his education and pursue a law degree. He attended FIU at night while working full-time, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science, cum laude. He then joined the inaugural class of FIU’s College of Law, graduating cum laude and at the top of his evening division.
In 2006, Judge Perez-Medina became a prosecutor with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where he served for 12 years. His career included assignments in the Public Corruption Unit, investigating and prosecuting complex cases involving misconduct by public officials. He also served as Felony Division Chief, supervising prosecutors and guiding trial preparation in demanding caseloads.
His dedication to public service was tested three years ago during one of the most difficult times in his life: he faced a life‑threatening liver condition that would ultimately require a transplant.
Despite declining health, he continued working and presiding over cases for as long as his health permitted – up to the day before his surgery.
“Even as my health declined, my commitment to the work remained, because this role carries with it a responsibility to serve and to give back,” he says, reflecting on that time. “This job kept me focused on doing the right thing and remaining true to the principles that have guided me throughout my life.”
Judge Perez-Medina credits his recovery to his medical team, his faith, his family – especially his wife of nearly 40 years, Isabel, whom he met in night school at FIU so many years ago – and the encouragement of his colleagues.
Above all, he expresses profound gratitude to those without whom none of this would have been possible: “I am grateful to the donor and their family for a gift I can never repay.”