EVERETT, Wash. — When Snohomish County Prosecutor Adam Cornell was elected in 2018, no one could predict what was ahead.
A global pandemic, a racial reckoning and a host of new state laws and initiatives have changed the legal landscape in ways Cornell could have never imagined.
"It's been four years. But really, for many of us, it's felt like a decade," said Cornell.
Earlier this year, Cornell announced he would not seek a second term. He will now become the first one-term prosecutor in Snohomish County in 40 years.
"The responsibility at the top is immense," said Cornell. "Particularly with the way that criminal justice has changed over the course of the last two or three years."
Cornell has been with the Snohomish County Prosecutor's office for 20 years. But his term as top prosecutor has been fraught with challenges, and many of his legal decisions have caused consternation on all sides.
In his first year, Cornell inherited four lawsuits against his predecessor Mark Roe, alleging a hostile workplace and inappropriate behavior.
In his second year, the pandemic hit, flipping the court system upside down.
He later chose not to defend Sheriff Adam Fortney in two recall efforts against him during the pandemic.
And among the most controversial cases, was Cornell's decision not to charge Deputy Art Wallin who was involved in the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Nickolas Peter. Cornell points to the newly passed statewide Initiative 940 which modified the criminal liability standard for law enforcement.
In another recent high-profile decision, Cornell declined to prosecute a man in Edmonds with a hate crime for defacing an 'I can't breathe' mural.
"There was a lot of anger about that decision," said Cornell. "But it was absolutely the necessary and right thing to do."
He also has concerns about the number of deputy prosecutors who have left the profession.
Through a tumultuous four years, Cornell said he's most proud of the way he's stuck to his values. He also said he's proud to launch a new online data dashboard, in partnership with Microsoft's Justice Reform Initiative, that he says will offer more transparency in the office.
"I think that the community is more engaged and interested in the criminal justice system. And I think that's a good thing," said Cornell.
Democrat Jason Cummings will succeed Cornell beginning in 2023.
Cornell has no professional plans after January 1 and said, that's the point.
"I don’t think I could do this job again and continue to be good to myself and my family," said Cornell. "And that is the most important thing in my life."