STEPHEN ZACCOR

Stephen Zaccor is the Chief of the Homicide Trial Unit of the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, which is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Stephen has led the prosecution of numerous high profile murder cases, including several serial killer and capital murder cases.  In addition to managing the prosecution of several homicide cases himself, including specializing in capital punishment (death penalty) cases, Stephen also supervises fifteen other prosecutors assigned to the Homicide Trial Unit.  Stephen also supervises the Warrant Training Program for the Broward County State Attorney’s Office where he works with two other members of Semper Veritas Police Training and Consulting, ASA Justin Griffis and ASA Alixandra “Alix” Buckelew, with training fellow Assistant State Attorneys and Law Enforcement Officers on the proper and legal ways to complete warrants and avoid suppression issues.  

 

The Homicide Trial Unit is responsible for the prosecution of all homicides committed in Broward County (excluding traffic related homicides), reviewing all officer-involved shooting homicides, reviewing all in-custody deaths, and prosecuting homicide cases that were committed outside of Broward County when specially appointed by the governor.  Stephen and his fellow prosecutors in the Homicide Trial Unit handle approximately 150 homicides every year.    In addition to his primary duties with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office and as a result of his vast trial experience and overall knowledge of the criminal justice system, Stephen also dedicates a large portion of his time to training local, state and federal law enforcement officers and fellow prosecutors on a wide range of topics including report writing, courtroom testimony, surviving cross examination, jury selection, etc.  Due to the popularity of his training seminars, Stephen is a highly sought after subject matter expert to provide training on everything related to the successful prosecution of violent crimes.    

 

On the very first day of law school, Stephen knew that he wanted to be a prosecutor.  After graduating from Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University in 1998, he immediately joined the Broward County State Attorney’s Office.  Stephen quickly rose through the ranks and was assigned to the Felony Trial Unit.  As a result of his work ethic, knowledge of the law and his superb litigation skills, he was chosen to become a member of the prestigious Career Criminal Unit in 2005.  This was a specialized unit where some of the most talented trial lawyers at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office focus on repeat offenders and those who meet the statutory requirements for being labeled as a “career criminal”.  Stephen spent the next four years prosecuting some of the most violent criminals and repeat offenders on a wide variety of felony cases.  

 

In 2009, Stephen was hand-picked by then Broward County State Attorney  Michael Satz to become a member of the elite Homicide Trial Unit.  Over the next eight years, Stephen prosecuted dozens of first-degree and second-degree murder cases, including numerous death penalty cases.  One of the many highlights of Stephen’s time as a prosecutor in the Homicide Trial Unit was a R.I.C.O. Case prosecution that he led involving several members of a criminal street gang called the “BACC Street Crips”.  One of the leaders and an “enforcer” in this gang was a defendant by the name of James Herard.  The gang was based out of Lauderhill, Florida and its members committed a series of violent criminal acts across South Florida that included two first degree murders, multiple robberies and several attempted murders by shooting people with a shotgun.  This case was referred to as the “Dunkin Donuts Murder and Robbery Spree Case” since some of the crimes were committed at various Dunkin Donuts locations in both Broward and Palm Beach Counties.  The victims in these cases were randomly chosen by the gang members during what became known as “human hunting” in an effort to “move up” in the gang hierarchy by increasing their “body count”.  Defendant James Herard was ultimately found guilty on 18 of the 19 felonies for which he was indicted.  His guilty convictions included two counts of first-degree murder, one count of racketeering, one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering and multiple counts of robbery and attempted first degree murder.  The jury in the case recommended and the Judge ultimately sentenced defendant James Herard to death in this case.     

In 2015, after 17 years with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, Stephen was appointed to become a County Court Judge in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Broward County) by Florida Governor Rick Scott.  Although Stephen thoroughly enjoyed his time on the bench as a County Court Judge because it fulfilled his desire to experience the legal system from a different perspective, he knew that deep down, he was put on this earth to be a prosecutor and he truly missed it.  Stephen eventually rejoined the Broward County State Attorney’s Office in 2021 and was ultimately appointed by the newly elected Broward County State Attorney, Harold F. Pryor, as Chief of the Homicide Trial Unit.