While it is just three years ago, late 2020 seems like an eternity to some as it was in the midst of the “COVID years.” Widespread work-from-home, going out in public wearing a face mask and “flattening the curve” were all too common.
People were focused more on returning to normalcy, not embarking on new beginnings.
For the 2020 class of entry-level 4th Circuit assistant state attorneys — or the “COVID class” as some called it — it was the start of their legal careers in a criminal justice system that also was altered by the global pandemic.
Two of those prosecutors, Adam Duso and Megan Sowell, recently met their three-year commitments and moved on to their next legal pursuits.
During the swearing-in ceremony for new assistant prosecutors, the group pledges to three years of public service with the State Attorney’s Office. It’s more of a promise than a contract, but Duso and Sowell said they are reaping the benefits of keeping their word.
Duso started in county court like all prosecutors do, but was quickly promoted to circuit court and felony cases. Not long after, he became an integral part of the Special Prosecution Unit from June 2022 to September 2023. While there, he investigated and prosecuted white-collar economic crimes.
Sowell also started in county court and soon was promoted to circuit court where she spent the two years in the courtroom assisting the Homicide Division and working on violent, tragic cases.
Duso is now an assistant U.S. attorney with the U.S. District Court in Tampa. Sowell went into private practice at Terrell Hogan in Jacksonville, but both fondly recall their time with the state and, especially, what their COVID beginnings entailed.
Unlike everything they had seen on TV growing up or talked about in training, it wasn’t a jury box, witness stand or judges’ chambers they saw because the courthouse was closed. Instead, it was a computer screen with individuals in their living rooms or faux backgrounds that became the courtroom.
A former combat medic, Duso’s first trial as a prosecutor was conducted on Zoom, but that didn’t keep him from feeling the gravity of the situation from his living room.
“It’s still people’s lives we are holding accountable,” Duso said about the serious atmosphere of digital court.
Sowell grew up in Jacksonville and is a former college athlete who thrives under pressure, which was a good attribute to have at the outset of her tenure.
The COVID ripple effect caused Florida Bar exams to be postponed several times, which meant Sowell in her first month spent her days prosecuting cases and her evenings studying for the exam. She passed the Bar in October 2020 while on the job.
It was her trial experience that helped Sowell launch into her new career as a personal injury lawyer specializing in medical malpractice.
“You’re in a very unique position to better the community you serve. It’s a job worth doing right rather than doing quickly,” she said.
Duso’s and Sowell’s three years with the State Attorney’s Office was about commitment, both to their colleagues and to the community.
Each said they would recommend the job to any young attorney looking to make an impact.
For them, it was much more. It also meant navigating the obstacles and hurdles that a worldwide pandemic threw their way. But, they did it and with that experience gained and commitments fulfilled, both broadened their legal resume, as did many who came before them.