Melba Pearson

For nearly 3 decades, current State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle has pushed racially biased policies that drive mass incarceration. Her office has sentenced children to life in prison without parole; overcharged youth, some as young as 13 years old; and failed to hold police accountable. During her 27 year tenure, Rundle has never prosecuted a police officer for an on-duty killing of an unarmed civilian. Not once! 

Under her leadership, Black people are convicted at a rate 2.5 times greater than white people, and receive the harshest sentences in Miami-Dade on average. Even worse, Black Hispanics are convicted at a rate that is over 5.5 times higher than white people in the county. 

Miami-Dade deserves a State Attorney who is truly committed to fairness and criminal justice reform. That’s why voting in this local election is crucial. 

We endorse Melba V. Pearson for Miami-Dade State Attorney.

Melba V. Pearson is an experienced criminal and civil rights attorney and a former assistant state attorney. She has a proven track record of advocating for reform and is committed to prioritizing accountability and justice in Miami-Dade County.

As State Attorney, Melba V. Pearson will:

• Hold police officers and public officials accountable
• Prioritize rehabilitation to address the root causes of criminal behavior
• Disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline through policies to keep kids out of the adult prisons 
• Increase pretrial services to divert people away from jail
• End unnecessary prosecution of small marijuana possession

On Tuesday, August 18, vote Melba V. Pearson for State Attorney, 11th Judicial Circuit. To vote by mail in this election, request your ballot by August 8. Early voting in Miami-Dade County begins August 3rd and runs through August 16th. For early voting hours and locations, click here.