Cheo Reid

What is your current practice area?

Criminal Law, Juvenile Delinquency 

Please provide a short bio of your background:

Cheo Reid is an assistant state attorney serving Palm Beach County and has served in this capacity since 2009.  He currently serves as the Chief of the Juvenile Division where he oversees the prosecution of all juvenile cases in Palm Beach County along with training and supervising attorneys.  He has prosecuted a myriad of cases on offenses ranging from simple battery to homicide.  Cheo is a member of the Palm Beach County Bar Association, F. Malcolm Cunningham Bar Association, and Hispanic Bar Association.  Cheo also serves on the Community Engagement Team for Palm Beach County’s Criminal Justice Commission where he strives to create a culture of transparency and accountability between the community and the criminal justice system.

What adversity have you faced because of your diverse characteristic and how did you overcome it?

As a Black man entering the field of law, I am often stereotyped as being less competent than my White counterparts. Moreover, As a Black man practicing in the field of criminal justice, I have seen how minorities are often mischaracterized as being less interested in community safety and the pursuit of justice.  After many years of diligent study of my practice field and thorough preparation of my cases, I have demonstrated that minority attorneys, particularly Black male attorneys, are no less competent in the field of law than their White counterparts.  Furthermore, in my role as a prosecutor and actively engaging in community organizations that focus on community safety and enhancing the equity of our justice system, I have demonstrated that minority members of the community, have an important role to play in establishing and maintaining a fair and equitable system of justice.

Why is diversity important to the practice of law in Palm Beach County?

Palm Beach County is a very diverse community filled with people from all different socio-economic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.  A fair and equitable legal system should have representation as rich in diversity as the people who rely on the system.  True diversity supports a system in which litigants can trust that have a fair and meaningful part in the system and are not merely acted upon by the system.