TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- After 32 years, State Attorney Willie Meggs is ready to retire.
A career spanning half a century ends in a few weeks. Meggs' final day is January 3.
"It's kind of like when you finish up with a trial and done everything you can do," he said. "You just feel the load lifting off of you."
Meggs has spent decades in local law enforcement. Before becoming a prosecutor, he was an officer and investigator with the Tallahassee Police Department and served as a Leon County deputy sheriff.
"I worked narcotics. I worked burglaries. I worked robberies. I worked homicides," he said.
That experience helped him get elected in 1984. Over the years, he's prosecuted hundreds of cases and worked with victims of sexual battery.
"Watching them get the courage to go in and testify and then watching the relief after they have done that -- those are just good feelings," Meggs said. "I can't really describe them in words."
Meggs earned national attention in 2013 when he chose not to file charges against FSU football player Jameis Winston, who was accused of raping a student.
"We should not file a case under the rules of criminal procedure unless we feel we have a reasonable likelihood of a conviction," Meggs said, regarding the case.
Looking back, Meggs said he'll miss the people he's worked with, but he's ready to slow down and enjoy time at home with his family.
"I feel good about what I've done for the last 32 years," he said. "I feel good about our office, and I'll feel good when I walk out of here, because I think I've left it in good hands."
*You can watch the full interview on our website.*
