Melesa Johnson
Melesa Johnson | |
|---|---|
Johnson in 2024 | |
| Jackson County Prosecutor | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Jean Peters Baker |
| Director of Public Safety of Kansas City, Missouri | |
| In office 2023 – January 2, 2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 7, 1989 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| Website | jacksoncountyprosecutor.com |
Melesa Johnson (born October 7, 1989) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Jackson County Prosecutor. She is the first Black person to hold the office, and is a member of the Democratic Party.
Johnson was raised in Kansas City and began her career as an Assistant Prosecutor in Jackson County. She moved to private practice and became a law clerk in the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri. In 2023, Mayor Quinton Lucas appointed her Director of Public Safety for Kansas City, where she managed violence prevention programs.
She was elected Jackson County Prosecutor in November 2024 and took office in January 2025. Key policy initiatives immediately included creating a dedicated property crimes unit and implementing a new policy to more aggressively prosecute felony domestic violence cases at the county level, rather than in municipal courts.