Melba Pearson

Melba Pearson is an attorney specializing in civil rights and criminal law, with an emphasis on policy. She is the Director of Prosecution Projects at the Gordon Institute for Public Policy, and co-manager for the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPI) Project based at Florida International University. The PPIs aim to bring more transparency, equity, and racial justice to the criminal justice system. Ms. Pearson also serves as Faculty in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She has a consulting practice through her firm MVP Law, which includes victims’ rights work, assessments of police departments and creating community engagement strategies around criminal justice/civil rights issues. Before joining FIU, Ms. Pearson spent three years as Deputy Director of the ACLU of Florida. She worked to change police practices, expand voting rights, and reform the criminal justice system. Previously, Ms. Pearson was an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County for 16 years, culminating as Assistant Chief in the Career Criminal/Robbery Unit supervising junior attorneys while prosecuting homicides. She serves as Chair-Elect of the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, and Immediate Past President of the National Black Prosecutors Association Foundation. Ms. Pearson regularly provides legal analysis for CourtTV, Law & Crime, local networks, and through op-eds that have been published in the Miami Herald, Washington Post, and other national outlets. She is the editor/author of the book “Can They Do That? Understanding Prosecutorial Discretion”. Lastly, she hosts a video podcast show #MondayswithMelba, as The Resident Legal Diva. In 2020, Ms. Pearson was the progressive candidate for Miami Dade State Attorney, garnering a strong showing across party lines. She lives in Miami Beach with her husband Bill.