Harold F. Pryor
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Harold F. Pryor | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait of Broward County state attorney Harold F. Pryor | |
| State Attorney for Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit | |
| Assumed office January 5, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Satz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1986 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Nikeisha Williams Pryor |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Florida (BA) Nova Southeastern University (JD) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Known for | First Black State Attorney in Broward County |
Harold F. Pryor (born c. 1986) is an American attorney and the State Attorney for Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit, serving Broward County since January 2021. Elected in November 2020 and re-elected unopposed in 2024, he is the first Black State Attorney in Broward County and the first Black man elected as a state attorney in Florida.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Harold F. Pryor was born around 1986, a sixth-generation Floridian.[1] Growing up, he witnessed family members murdered and faced systemic injustices, including racial profiling by law enforcement, which shaped his commitment to criminal justice reform.[3] He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Florida in 2009, where he received the Multicultural Scholar of the Year award and was inducted into Florida Blue Key, a leadership honor society.[1] Pryor graduated with a Juris Doctor from Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad College of Law in 2012.[4]
Legal career
[edit]Pryor began his career as a law clerk at Spirit Airlines (2011–2012) and McClain, Alfonso, Meeker & Dunn (2012–2014).[4] From 2014 to 2017, he served as an Assistant State Attorney in the 17th Judicial Circuit, prosecuting felonies and managing caseloads of approximately 350 cases. He tried 60 jury trials, 45 to verdict, all criminal.[4][3] Pryor then worked in private practice at Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin (2017–2018) and as in-house counsel at Hotwire Communications (2018–2020), specializing in business litigation, employment law, and commercial transactions.[4] In 2020, he briefly joined Kelley|Uustal before his election.[5] He currently serves as a partner at The Pryor Law Group, focusing on business and real estate law.[4]
State Attorney
[edit]Pryor was elected Broward State Attorney in November 2020, defeating Republican Gregg Rossman with 64% of the vote, succeeding Mike Satz after 44 years.[5][2] He won re-election unopposed in 2024, securing a second term.[6] His administration established a Conviction Review Unit to investigate innocence claims and a Hate Crimes Unit to address bias-motivated crimes.[7] Pryor has advocated for adequate staffing and pay for prosecutors, meeting lawmakers in Tallahassee in 2022.[8]
In 2022, Pryor criticized the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade, calling it a setback for women's rights, and pledged to prioritize violent crime while defending medical professionals.[9] In 2024, he warned the public about an email phishing scam misusing his name to extort money.[10] Pryor accompanied Vice President Kamala Harris during a 2024 visit to the Parkland shooting site and participated in a White House gun violence prevention roundtable.[7]
Pryor leads an office of 462 employees, including 213 prosecutors, focusing on criminal justice reform, equity, and community safety.[11]
Community leadership
[edit]Pryor served as president of the T.J. Reddick Bar Association, Broward County's Black bar association, where he led efforts to remove a statue of former Governor Napoleon B. Broward, a white supremacist, from the courthouse and rename the north wing after Judge T.J. Reddick Jr., Broward's first Black judge.[1][3] He serves on the Florida Bar Board of Governors as a liaison for government lawyers and was part of the Florida Supreme Court's Juvenile Drug Court Guidelines Subcommittee.[1] Pryor mentors youth, speaking at events like the Black Male Symposium at South Broward High School, and advocates for childhood literacy.[7][1]
Personal life
[edit]Pryor is married to Nikeisha Williams Pryor, a real estate attorney, and they have two young children.[1][3] His experiences with family members’ murders and systemic injustice motivated his pursuit of criminal justice reform.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g "Harold F. Pryor". Office of Broward State Attorney. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ a b "Broward County has a new State Attorney". CBS Miami. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ a b c d e "Meet Harold Pryor". Buzz Magazine. 2020-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ a b c d e "Questionnaire: Harold Fernandez Pryor, Jr". Sun Sentinel. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ a b "Harold Pryor secured the keys". Daily Business Review. 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ "Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe State Attorneys re-elected". Florida Politics. 2024-04-26. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ a b c "Broward State Attorney's Office". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ "Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor met with stakeholders". Facebook. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ "Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor issues statement". Office of Broward State Attorney. 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ "Broward State Attorney Harold F. Pryor warns public". Office of Broward State Attorney. 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2025-05-14.
- ^ "Home". Office of Broward State Attorney. Retrieved 2025-05-14.