Today we’d like to introduce you to Melba Pearson.
Melba, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in New Rochelle, NY. I came to Miami in 1997 after graduating from Hofstra University School of Law to work for the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office. After a hiatus, I returned to work as a prosecutor in 2002. During my time, I prosecuted a variety of crimes, including domestic violence homicides, armed robberies, and spent time as a community prosecutor.
In 2014, I was elected as President of the National Black Prosecutors Association — which exposed me to criminal justice reforms that were being implemented across the country. After seeing that the office was not open to change, I left to become the Deputy Director of the ACLU of Florida in 2017. It was an honor to be able to work on criminal justice reform, changes to police practices and voting rights from a statewide lens.
I was part of the leadership team that successfully got Amendment 4 (voting rights restoration for people with felony convictions) passed. After a number of community groups, activists, victim groups, police officers and current State Attorney staff repeatedly asked me to run, I took the leap to launch my campaign for Miami-Dade State Attorney. I launched my campaign on the 91st birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who is someone that inspired me to become a lawyer and criminal justice reform advocate.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely was not a smooth road! In 1998, I failed the Florida bar exam. It was the first time I had such a setback in my career. I decided to pursue a career in events/marketing/public relations. After 9/11 hit my hometown of New York City, I realized that I needed to do more meaningful work. I was coming out of a domestic violence relationship — and decided to take the bar exam again. I was successful and returned to the field of prosecution. It definitely taught me perseverance; that was the time that I began to learn my own strength as a person.
Please tell us more about your work.
Right now, I am a full-time candidate for Miami-Dade State Attorney. Before I became a candidate, I worked at the ACLU change police practices, expand voting rights, and reform the criminal justice system. Prior to joining the ACLU, I worked for over fifteen years as an Assistant State Prosecutor in the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office. What sets me apart is my trial experience, and desire to implement common-sense reforms to the criminal justice system. When elected, I will prioritize rehabilitation over punishment so that there is less crime, resulting in fewer victims as well as taxpayers’ savings. I will reallocate resources to violent crimes — sexual assault, gun violence, and domestic violence. I will also make sure that my administration is transparent by releasing data regarding the racial breakdown of who receives plea agreements, diversion, and the length of sentences.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
There’s nothing I love more about Miami than the weather! Being raised in the Northeast, it is a privilege to live in paradise. I also greatly enjoy the diversity of our city, with people from all over the world. Traffic is not fun but is a small price to pay. It is my hope that we improve our public transport so that everyone can have access to all areas of our city.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MelbaForMiami.com
- Facebook: @MelbaForMiami
- Twitter: @MelbaForMiami
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