Mel McDonald

Background

About Mel McDonald

Mel served as a law clerk to the Arizona Supreme Court from 1968-1969 for Justice Charles Bernstein and Justice Jack D. H. Hays. From 1970-1974, he was a prosecutor and trial group leader in the Maricopa Attorney's office. He served as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge from 1974-1981. In 1981, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. Between 1981-1985, he served on the Advisory Committee to United States Attorney General William French Smith. He resigned after President Reagan's first term and went as a partner to his current law firm of Jones, Skelton and Hochuli. Mel was appointed to the Arizona Commission on Crime by former governor Bruce Babbitt. He was appointed to the Lottery Commission by Governor Babbitt. He was appointed to the Arizona Racing Commission by Governor Evan Mecham, reappointed by Governor Rose Mofford, reappointed by Governor Fife Symington, reappointed again by governor Jane Hull, and was appointed again to that position by Governor Jan Brewer. He was appointed by the Arizona House of Representatives to head the impeachment investigation of a Corporation Commissioner in 2003. In 2004, he was appointed as Special Prosecutor in the Lewis Prison Hostage case. In 2009, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers. In 2011, he represented the Arizona State Senate in the Petition for Special Action before the Arizona Supreme Court involving the Arizona Redistricting Commission. Cases that he has litigated have been featured on Dateline NBC, 20/20, CBS 48 Hours, Hard Copy, and other national Court TV programs.