Background
Brunetti, Melvin T. was born on November 11, 1933 in Reno.
Brunetti, Melvin T. was born on November 11, 1933 in Reno.
Attended, University Nevada, 1960. Juris Doctor, University California, San Francisco, 1964.
Born in Reno, Nevada, Brunetti was in the United States Army National Guard from 1954 to 1956, and then received a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1964. He was in private practice in Reno, Nevada from 1964 to 1985. On February 26, 1985, Brunetti was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated by Herbert Young Cho Choy.
Brunetti was confirmed by the United States Senate on April 3, 1985, and received his commission on April 4, 1985.
He assumed senior status on November 11, 1999. Brunetti died on October 30, 2009 in Reno, Nevada.
Notable cases
Brunetti"s notable cases include:
Osborne v. District Attorney" General’ s Office for the Third Judicial District, 423 F.3d 1050 (9th Cir 2005), after remand, 521 F.3d 1118 (9th Cir 2008), reversed, 129 South. Court
2308 (2009). Brunetti held that an Alaska inmate"s section 1983 action for post-conviction access to deoxyribonucleic acid evidence was not barred by Heck v.
Humphrey, 512 United States. 477 (1994), and, after remand, that due process conferred a right of access to the evidence. The Supreme Court later reversed 5-4 on the due process issue;
Harris v. Vasquez, 949 F.2d 1497 (9th Cir 1990).
Brunetti upheld the murder conviction and death sentence of Robert Alton Harris on habeas review.
And
Adamson v. Ricketts, 789 F.2d 722, 735 (9th Cir 1986) (en banc) (dissenting), reversed, 483 United States. 1 (1987). Dissenting from the en banc majority, Brunetti wrote that double jeopardy did not bar the defendant"s prosecution for first degree murder in connection with a bombing in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Supreme Court subsequently reversed the majority opinion.
Member Council of Legal Advisors, Republican National Committee, 1982-1985. Served with United States Army National Guard, 1954-1956. Member State Bar of Nevada (president 1984-1985, board governors 1975-1984).
Married Gail Dian Buchanan. Children: Nancy, Bradley, Melvin Junior.