A Conversation with State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle

The year is 1993 and 43-year-old Katherine Fernandez Rundle is about to make history. After beating her opponent in the election, Fernandez Rundle was officially appointed as the first Hispanic woman to become the State Attorney for Miami-Dade County. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami, Fernandez Rundle obtained a law degree from the University of Cambridge Law School in England. And ever since 1993, Fernandez Rundle has been proudly serving the community of Miami-Dade. 

The work of Katherine Fernandez Rundle has affected the daily operations of law enforcement offices for the past 30 years. The job of a State Attorney as a prosecutor is the backbone for law enforcement. “The local prosecutor is very important because they are the chief law enforcement officer under the law.” Fernandez Rundle continues to say that her job is vital to the foundation of law enforcement. “When laws at the state level are violated or municipal laws and ordinances are violated and an arrest is made, we're the ones where the case comes to and our role is to make sure that the police acted under due process of law.” Fernandez Rundle mentions that she feels like the quarterback of the criminal justice system because cases are taken through the court and the goal is to find the most just resolution. Her cases vary such as a fire in an apartment building, in-custody fatality situations, domestic violence cases or even musical artists who have been arrested in Miami-Dade County. Fernandez Rundle also adds that her job is to work daily with law enforcement offices when a prosecution occurs to collect evidence and gather witnesses. Without Fernandez Rundle, law enforcement officers can not fulfill their position properly, and without law enforcement, Fernandez Rundle cannot serve as a community liaison to constituents.

It runs in the family. Fernandez Rundle is a second-generation lawyer. As her father, Dr. Carlos Benito Fernandez was Miami’s first Hispanic judge and founder of the Cuban American Bar Association. Fernandez Rundle was inspired to run after her father ran for office five times. Fernandez Rundle recalls what life was like as a young Hispanic girl in Miami in the 1950's. “Coming from being a little Cuban girl who was living in a working-class neighborhood… and not being well-received in my community and calling me names and things.”  Fernandez Rundle is a groundbreaker and honorary of many firsts in her job. Fernandez Rundle served as the Chief Assistant State Attorney and Legal Counsel to the Miami-Dade County Grand Jury under former State Attorney and former United States Attorney General, Janet Reno. “When I was asked to run, I had mixed feelings, not just because of my name, although that entered into part of my thinking.” said Fernandez Rundle. She pointed out that her first opponent ran against her only because she was a Hispanic female. Fernandez Rundle continues, “I get validation in a way not only for the name, which part of it being Hispanic, but also as a professional woman, as a mom and running a big office that is the fourth largest office in the United States.” 

With a career span of 30 years as the State Attorney, Fernandez Rundle might seem like she has done it all, but she says every day is different. “The best thing about my day to day is I’m never really sure what I am going to encounter. It can look like one thing and then within ten minutes, change.” Whether it was starting the first domestic violence unit in Miami-Dade, or being the only State Attorney in Florida that operates a Child Support Enforcement Office, she has set milestones for the legal and criminal justice community. One of her biggest accomplishments was working to implement the United States first drug courts that became a judicial model for the country. “We're public servants, and so our role is to make sure the people we work for understand what we're doing, how we're doing, and know that they have access to us,” said Fernandez Rundle. 

Although being the Miami-Dade County prosecutor is her main job, Fernandez Rundle says it is not her only job. When she’s not in the courtroom, she is continuously meeting with community officials as well as state and federal officials. Fernandez Rundle meets with lawmakers frequently in part because Miami-Dade County has the largest political delegation in the state of Florida. This includes helping write, fix, and adjust laws in the state. “We probably have more laws authored here out of this office than any others. We're very, very proactive in that respect.” Fernandez Rundle continues, “Our job is to keep in touch with our lawmakers so that they know what we're doing, how we're doing it… we become partners in fixing rocks and making the law stronger.”

Also, as a leader in the community, she meets with many community organizations, faith-based organizations, churches, and constituents. This includes communicating with homeowners’ associations in the county and advocating for homeowners, apartment, and condo owners to ensure that these constituents are not being taken advantage of relating to events in the county like The Hammocks Association situation back in November of 2022. “There's so many different touches that I have to make every day, all day in the community to make sure that we have the quality of life that we all have come to expect and deserve in the community and that we're all safe.” Fernandez Rundle does not only wear the hat of the state attorney, but also the hat of a liaison between law enforcement and the community. Serving in several roles throughout Miami-Dade County, Fernandez Rundle in her 30 years of experience has come to understand that connecting with the community is just as important as being a good prosecutor.