There was no easing into her career as a prosecutor, recalls Shannon Wallace. She'd known ever since grade school that she wanted to work as a district attorney, but when she approached Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright about an internship, he made certain she knew what she was getting into.

"He was getting ready to try a death penalty case, and he gave me the case file and said, 'If you can go through this and you still want to be a prosecutor, I'll work with you,'" says Wallace.