Nelson is a member of CCJ’s Board of Trustees and was a member of the Council’s National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice.
Melissa Nelson took office as the state attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit in January 2017 and was re-elected in 2021 and 2025 without opposition. She leads more than 300 attorneys, staff, and investigators in their pursuit of justice.
Since taking office, she has implemented policies to strengthen public safety and incapacitate dangerous individuals while establishing needed smart justice reforms and initiatives that have saved taxpayers, increased transparency, and protected the community. Nelson sits on several local and national boards, including ATF’s National Crime Gun Intelligence Governing Board and Florida’s Cold Case Advisory Commission. She earned her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida and is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
