(Lawrenceville, Ga., 07/03/2024) – John Melvin, the Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, was reappointed to a second term as a member of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp originally appointed Melvin to membership on the Council in 2020 when Melvin was Executive Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations.  He will serve this term through July 1, 2028.

“We are proud and grateful to have the benefit of John’s wealth of leadership, legal knowledge and law enforcement expertise,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “He brings so much to the table every day that he comes to the office. Our prosecutors and investigators are a better team because of the experience and reach that he gives us.”

The Council serves as the epicenter of criminal justice policies, research and information for Georgia, and is the State Administrative Agency for numerous federal formula and competitive grant programs. Currently, CJCC administers tens of millions of dollars in federal criminal justice and victim services grants received from Edward Byrne Memorial (Byrne-JAG), Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), STOP Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT), Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) as well as state grant programs funded by the Georgia General Assembly.

CJCC not only awards and ensures accountability of grants to sub-grantees, it also administers programs providing direct services to victims of crime, such as the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program which offers financial support to innocent victims of violent crimes and encourages greater victim participation in the criminal justice process.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have my work reaffirmed by the Governor for this membership,” he said. “I am just happy to be of service to District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson and the people of Gwinnett County, and to the CJCC.”

As Chief ADA, Melvin serves as the second-in-command at the Gwinnett DA’s Office. Before returning to prosecuting in Gwinnett, Melvin served for nearly four years with the GBI, as Chief of Staff, then as Assistant Director. He was a prosecutor for over 7 years in Cobb County, eventually serving as Chief ADA and a five-month stint as Acting District Attorney.

Melvin has taught Basic Litigation for the Georgia Prosecuting Attorney’s Council from 1997 to 2019 and is an adjunct law professor at John Marshall Law School and before that taught at Emory University Law School. He began his prosecuting career as an ADA with the Gwinnett County DA’s Office from 1995 to 2006.