Michael Colombo is a highly accomplished trial attorney with more than 25 years of real courtroom experience, now seeking to serve as Lee County Judge in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. A proven advocate for justice, he has built a career defined by integrity, professionalism, and results. Some of his legal work has received national recognition.
His extensive background includes 17 years in law enforcement and more than 8 years in private practice, where he has handled criminal prosecution, civil trial litigation, appellate advocacy, employment law, and substantial criminal defense work. Colombo has successfully managed some of the most complex and high-stakes cases, seeing them through to verdict.
Throughout his career, he has remained steadfast in defending the Constitution and the principles upon which this nation was founded. He is guided by a strong belief in fairness, accountability, and equal justice under the law.
Attorney Colombo earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Scranton (PA) and his Juris Doctor from the Quinnipiac University School of Law (CT) in May 2000. He has been admitted to the Connecticut Bar, the Georgia Bar, and the Florida Bar. Attorney Colombo has also been admitted to several Federal Courts: U.S. District Court of Connecticut, U.S. Southern District of Florida (Miami), and U.S. Northern District of Florida (Tallahassee).
Early in his career, Attorney Colombo argued to Connecticut Supreme Court in 2008 on a civil law issue, involving a contractual insurance matter. Attorney Colombo also represented a firefighter against the City of Stamford (Connecticut) regarding employment discrimination, where his work created a new statewide precedent for firefighter promotional testing.
In addition to his legal career, Colombo served as a federal special agent in the years following 9/11, holding top secret clearance—an experience that further reflects his deep commitment to public service and the rule of law. Colombo’s investigative work was recognized following the 2010 Times Square terrorist bombing attempt, where his work in that case led to further protecting our great nation.
In 2012, Attorney Colombo began practicing in Southwest Florida as an Assistant State Attorney. Over the next 10+ years, he handled thousands of cases as a prosecutor in the 20th Judicial Circuit. His work affected the lives of hundreds, to include cases involving multiple life sentences.
Michael Colombo spent several years working in the Special Victim’s Unit, as well as teaching CLE’s to the State Attorney’s Office, teaching at the national “Krimes Against Kids” Conference in Orlando, and helping to train SANE nurses at a local hospital in Charlotte County.
In 2023, Michael Colombo was appointed by the Florida Supreme Court to serve on the Florida Bar Professional Ethics Committee.
Michael Colombo has 3 boys who all play baseball in the community and attend public schools in Lee County. His wife Susan, serves on the Board for San Carlos Babe Ruth Baseball, where he routinely volunteers his time.
With real life experience and actual jury trial experience on both sides of the courtroom, Colombo brings a balanced, real-world perspective to the bench—one focused on protecting the rights of citizens while upholding the law without compromise. He is committed to serving the people of Lee County with honor, impartiality, and an unwavering pursuit of justice.
Resume
Bar Admissions:
U.S. Northern District of Florida 02/24/2025
U.S. Southern District of Florida 01/17/2023
U.S. District Court of Connecticut 05/05/2005
Florida 03/30/2011
Georgia 11/19/2009
Connecticut 11/20/2000
Education:
Quinnipiac University School of Law, Hamden, Connecticut, J.D. – May, 2000
- Rules of Professional Responsibility (American Jurisprudence Award)
University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania, B.S. – May, 1994
Professional Associations:
National Italian American Bar Association
Lee County Bar Association
Florida Bar
Professional Ethics Committee (appointed by The Florida Supreme Court in 2023 and re-appointed in June 2026)
Trial Experience:
100+ trials to verdict
Current Employment:
Suarez, Rios, and Weinberg, 1601 Jackson Street, Suite 201, Fort Myers, FL 33901
- Trial Attorney, January 2023 to present
Criminal defense, personal injury (plaintiff), and civil injunction matters (respondent/petitioner).
Past Employment Positions:
Office of the State Attorney
Assistant State Attorney, May 2012- January 2023
- Assistant State Attorney, served in both Charlotte and Lee Counties
May 2012 – January 2023
- Special Victim’s Unit (SVU)
- Trial Attorney
Department of Homeland Security (DHS-ICE)
Special Agent (criminal investigator, series 1811), June 2009 to May 2012
- Operation Predator enforcement; investigated, participated and arrested child & human traffickers, suspected child exploitation predators, and child pornographers.
- Immigration Identify and Benefit Fraud team; investigated, participated and arrested individuals involved in, or associated with fraud rings.
- Narcotics border enforcement; investigated, participated and arrested individuals trafficking high quantities of illegal narcotics along the U.S. border, to include undercover operations and Title III wiretap enforcement.
- Terrorism & National Security Threats; assisted the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) with surveillance, intelligence gathering, and border enforcement.
- 2010 Times Square Attempted Bombing investigation of Faisal Shahzad; lead special agent, collateral investigation.
- Undercover agent in narcotics and human trafficking investigations.
Private Practice Connecticut
Private Attorney, January 2005-June 2009, Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut
- Trial Attorney in Criminal Law, Civil Law, Family Law, and Employment Law
- City of Stamford Police Department, Union/Employment Attorney
- Trial Attorney in both civil plaintiff’s cases and criminal defense cases
- Connecticut Supreme Court, argument & brief; see Stiffler v. Continental Insurance Company, No. 17761 (July 2008); served as both lead Trial Attorney and lead Appellate Attorney in Oral Argument regarding a personal injury lawsuit involving permanent injuries, contractual obligations, penalty judgment interest, and bad faith.
- Lead Trial Attorney in CHRO ex. Rel. Lenotti v. City of Stamford, landmark decision (April 2008); see 49 page opinion online; Connecticut Human Rights & Opportunities (CHRO) ruled in favor of a firefighter for disability discrimination committed by the City, holding that learning & mental disabilities must be accommodated on promotional tests.
Office of the State Attorney
- Assistant State Attorney, Stamford, Connecticut, January 2001-January 2005
- Trial Attorney
Training Course(s) or Guest Speaker engagements:
- Mastering Motions (State Attorney’s Office), CLE presenter & speaker, December 2022
- Krimes Against Kids Conference (Orlando, FL), presenter & speaker – Motion Practice & Case Law, September 2022
- Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), presenter & speaker, September 2021
- Sexual Assault Nurse (SANE) Training, presenter & speaker, Fawcett Memorial Hospital, July 2021
- Human Trafficking Symposium (Florida Gulf Coast University), presenter & speaker, March 2017
- Children’s Advocacy Center, Fort Myers, training & roundtables, 2017-2019
- Understanding K9 Searches—Training, Reliability, and Legal Issues Surrounding Dog Sniffs (State Attorney’s Office), CLE presenter & speaker, January 2016
- Ave Maria Law School, Moot Court Competition, Judge & speaker, October 2015
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, Dispute Resolution Competition, Judge & speaker, January 2008
- Quinnipiac University School of Law, Death Penalty Debate, speaker, January 2004
- Krimes Against Kids Conferences, Orlando FL (multiple trainings)
- Florida Prosecutors Attorney Association (FPAA) & National District Attorney Association (NDAA), multiple trainings, Florida and South Carolina
- Child Abduction Response Team (CART) training, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
- Court TV guest speaker/legal analyst regarding retrial of Michael Skakel (2007)
- Guest speaker/commentator for local news legal matters (NBC and Wink News)
Additional Accomplishments / Hobbies:
- Olympic Trials Wrestling (freestyle), 1996 National Qualifier – Gold & Silver Medalist; Northeast Regional Events.
- Wrestling Official/Referee, State of Connecticut (C.I.W.O.A), 2004-2009
- Collegiate Baseball & Wrestling Captain (Division III), University of Scranton, 1993-1994