Kimano Edwards is an attorney who has spent over a decade in public service as a sworn law enforcement officer and most recently as a prosecutor here in 4th Judicial Circuit. As a police officer, Kimano protected and served local communities in Gainesville, FL and Jacksonville, FL. As an Assistant State Attorney, he represented the state of Florida in the prosecution of criminal offenses where he managed and litigated a high volume of diverse cases—ranging from municipal ordinances to felonies.
Kimano grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, FL before attending the University of Florida (UF) where he graduated with a B.A. in History and minored in Education. Kimano subsequently attended UF Law where he received his Juris Doctor and earned outstanding achievement certificates for his pro bono & community service work. Kimano is a recipient of UF Law's Dean Leadership Award that recognizes outstanding service to the UF Law community and a U.S. President's Student Service award for his commitment to community service.
In law enforcement, Kimano was the Class Leader for both his Police academy BLE class in 2010 and his JSO hired class in 2013. During his career, he worked as a narcotics detective, a task force officer, and as a patrol officer. He also served as a police supervisor (PIC), a field training officer, and as an I.T. Field Technician. Kimano received multiple commendations and was recognized as Officer of the Month at both the Gainesville Police Department and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
In law school, Kimano served as President of the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society and as Assistant Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Technology Law and Policy. Kimano was also a member of the Student Recruitment Team, a UF Law Ambassador, a GatorLaw Mentor, and a Trial Practice teaching assistant. He is a member of the Phi Delta Phi legal honor society and the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Kimano also clerked for US District Judge Brian J. Davis as a judicial intern and spent a semester in practice as a legal intern at the Jacksonville Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Kimano has consistently worked to improve the City of Jacksonville. He was appointed to Jacksonville’s Board of Library Trustees by Mayor Lenny Curry and is a member of JAX Chamber’s Hightower Emerging Leaders Fellowship. Although he is now an attorney, Kimano continues his service to Jacksonville as a sworn police reservist in JSO’s auxiliary unit. In that role, he assists the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on patrol and on other law enforcement deployments as a volunteer. His professional memberships include the Rotary Club of Jacksonville where he is the Chair of the Member Development Committee, the Chester Bedell American Inn of Court, the Jacksonville Bar Association, and the Jacksonville Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Jacksonville Chamber Downtown Council, the Federalist Society, Leadership Jacksonville, and Leadership Florida. Kimano is also a mentor in the Raines Future Lawyers and Leaders Program; and he currently serves on the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and as the Community Engagement Committee Chair for the UF Alumni Association – ABA Jacksonville.
