Stephen Jerome
By BOB KECSKEMETY
FORT LAUDERDALE – Officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of local attorney Stephen D. Jerome, who committed suicide on Friday, March 9, after leaping 11 stories from the rooftop of his Pompano Beach office located in the BankAtlantic building at 1600 South Federal Hgwy., less than 24 hours after authorities executed a search warrant at his Fort Lauderdale home for materials related to child pornography (Florida Agenda, March 15, 2012).
Documents indicate that police were looking for specific videos containing potentially explicit and illegal materials. Jerome, who graduated from University of Miami School of Law in 1977, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, oxycodone, and marijuana, which investigators found at the scene.
When Jerome, 61, posted $1,000 bond the following morning, he went to his law office where, excusing himself, he leapt from the roof, three floors above. According to Broward County acting Medical Examiner Dr. Darin Trelka, Jerome, Jerome died at the scene “from multiple blunt force injuries.”
Jerome’s suicide came just a day before his scheduled opening night performance at the Pembroke Pines Theater of the Performing Arts’ musical production of Mel Brooks’ play “The Producers.” The attorney, who loved the musical theater form, according to friends, was known to break out into song while in court.
Jerome’s arrest prior to his suicide was not his first. The attorney was charged in 1990 with sexual performance by a child after police found child pornography magazines in his bedroom closet. He pled no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service, and the Florida Bar Association temporarily suspended his license to practice.
Jerome’s Condom Man character was part of his community service for the 1990 arrest. In the guise of superhero named Condom Man, Jerome donned a cape and mask and would go to local gay clubs and bars on weekend evenings passing out condoms in addition to educating and extolling the virtues of safer sex practices to the patrons He had since built his practice back into a successful bankruptcy law practice.
With additional reporting by Rory Barbarossa.