Gene Sauls is my neighbor and also an intelligent man who has an amazing background in Law. I chose to interview him because I thought his past experiences would be intriguing to hear about. His line of work goes great with our “Law and Politics” topic for our group. From his career path as a prosecutor/state attorney in Miami Florida, I couldn’t pass up the chance of getting to interview Mr. Sauls.
What led you to this career choice? Background information?
In 1962 at the age of twelve I saw the movie “To kill a mockingbird”. The plot involved Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small southern town who defended a black man falsely accused of the rape of a white woman. From that moment on I knew that I would become a lawyer.
When did you become a prosecutor?
After graduation from law school in 1981 I went to work for Janet Reno as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami Florida.
Where did you work throughout your career?
I worked for three years as a prosecutor in Miami followed by one year as a Specially Appointed Assistant United States Attorney. Then I was in-house counsel for a major insurance carrier and lastly as a insurance lobbyist.
What were some of your responsibilities?
During my time as a State Attorney I was responsible for prosecuting criminal offenses including sexual assault and homicide. During my final year I was appoint chief of the narcotics unit and prosecuted major narcotics cases. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, I continued by investigating and prosecuting a large multijurisdictional smuggling ring.
Where and how long did you work as a prosecutor?
A total of five years.
Who or what motivated you to choose this profession and career path?
A strong desire to protect those who could not protect themselves and to bring those responsible for crimes to justice.
What are the pros?
(See Above) Additionally, I enjoyed using forensic evidence, including gunshot residue, power burns, blood splatter and postmortem evidence.
From Attorney to Prosecutor
By: Tiffany Leclair