Rodney Melville

Rodney Scott Melville is a presiding judge in Santa Barbara County's superior court. He was the judge in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestion trial, in which Jackson was acquitted.

Biography[]

Melville was born in 1941 and studied at San Diego State University and Hastings College of the Law, University of California.^[1]

Melville, now living in Sacramento, California, became an attorney for the firm Melville & Iwasko and became a State Certified Specialist in Family Law. He served as a Deputy District Attorney in the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office for two years.^[1]

In 1987, Melville was appointed to the Municipal Court Bench in 1987. After three years he was promoted to the Superior Court.^[1]

Melville retired as a judge for the Superior Court in 2007, having served 17 years.^[2]

People v. Jackson[]

In 2005, Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation by a 13-year-old boy. The case went to court and Melville was appointed the presiding judge. Prior to the start of the trial, Melville banned cameras from the courtroom, put a gag order on both sides and oversaw a three-day jury selection procedure.^[1]

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