(Le Floridien) — Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced his resignation Monday evening, effective at 11:59 p.m. on January 17—just days before President-elect Donald Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20.
Lapointe, nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022, issued a prepared statement reflecting on his tenure and the significance of his role. His departure aligns with the long-standing tradition of U.S. attorneys stepping down during presidential transitions.
He succeeded Juan Antonio Gonzalez, who took office in 2021 following the resignation of Ariana Fajardo Orshan, a Trump appointee. Lapointe joins several other U.S. attorneys nationwide who announced their resignations on Monday.
A District in the National Spotlight
The Southern District of Florida, headquartered in Miami, has remained in the national spotlight with high-profile cases, including Donald Trump’s classified documents investigation and the ongoing prosecution of Ryan Wesley Routh, accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course.
The district spans nine counties, stretching from Indian River County to Monroe County, with branch offices in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Pierce.
A Journey from Haiti to Leadership
Lapointe, 57, made history as the first Haitian-born American to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. After immigrating from Haiti as a teenager, he settled in Miami-Dade County’s Liberty City neighborhood, an area he described in his statement as “an urban area with high crime and associated problems.”
Despite these challenges, Lapointe excelled academically, graduating from Miami Edison Senior High School before attending Miami Dade College. He went on to earn degrees in law and finance from Florida State University.
“Given where I started, it has been uniquely meaningful to hold a role so central to the Department of Justice’s mission of supporting our collective well-being through the exercise of the rule of law,” Lapointe said in his statement.
A Distinguished Legal Career
Before his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Lapointe served as a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in Miami, where he co-chaired the Advancement of Diverse Attorneys Committee.
Earlier in his career, from 1999 to 2001, he worked as a law clerk for former Florida Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead. From 2002 to 2006, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District, handling cases involving drug and firearm offenses, as well as bank and mortgage fraud.
He later joined Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, where he spent over a decade as a litigation associate and partner before transitioning to Pillsbury in 2017.
Lapointe’s resignation marks the end of a significant chapter in the Southern District of Florida, leaving behind a legacy defined by perseverance, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
