About Richard Merlino, Jr

Proactive and aggressive. Mr. Merlino is a former State Prosecutor with over 25 years of experience. He served between 1993 – 1997 in the Broward County State Attorney’s Office where he worked initially as a Supervisor in the County Court Division and later as a Felony Trial Unit Prosecutor. Richard has tried over 200 jury trials as a Prosecutor and Defense Attorney, ranging from DUI to Murder. After leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Richard handled a variety of Federal Appeals as a partner with Lieberman, Gutierrez & Merlino, P.A. in Miami, Florida. Richard then joined forces with Jeffrey M. Voluck, a career criminal defense attorney who hails from the Philadelphia area, to form Voluck & Merlino, P.L., a firm focused on criminal trial and appellate work in State and Federal Courts with offices in Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia. Richard has been selected to be a Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Attorney; representing law enforcement in Police Involved shootings and with regard to charges of malfeasance. Richard is also Florida Death Penalty qualified.

Richard was appointed by a joint committee of Federal judges, Federal Public Defenders, and private attorneys to the Federal Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Southern District of Florida. A handful of attorneys are selected to the CJA Panel regionally and are carefully screened in order to ensure that the attorney possesses the professionalism and experience necessary to handle complex Federal matters. The CJA Panelists are called upon and appointed by Federal Judges to handle any/all Federal criminal cases where a conflict exists with the Federal Public Defender’s Office.