Fraley, J. Philip

James A. Fowler was born in Sarasota County. He attended Ferrum College in Virginia where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in political science graduating with honors. He was a Bonner Scholar, a member of the student judicial review board and was the recipient of numerous academic awards including the Model United Nations most effective delegate.

Following his graduation in 2003, Mr. Fowler returned to Sarasota and worked for the Manatee County Public Defender's Office for two years as an investigator. At the Public Defender's Office, he gained invaluable experience in criminal law. In 2005, Mr. Fowler began attending Florida Coast School of Law where he was awarded his Juris Doctor Degree in May of 2008.

During law school, Mr. Fowler gained experience as a legal clerk for the Law Office of Duke Fagan, P.A., Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked with pending criminal, personal injury, and family law cases. He furthered his experience by working as a certified legal intern for the State Attorney's Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, St. Augustine,Florida.

Mr. Fowler was admitted to the Florida Bar in August of 2008. After graduation, he began working for the law firm of Syprett & Meshed in Sarasota County. While working there, he was responsible for representing clients in both family and criminal law cases. In January, 2010, Mr. Fowler left Syprett & Meshed and began working as a prosecutor for the State Attorney's Office in both Sarasota and Manatee County. While at the State Attorney's Office, Mr. Fowler prosecuted numerous DUI, misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony cases. He also received specialized training from the Florida Traffic Safety Resource Program in the area of drug related and refusal DUIs.

In July, 2012, Mr. Fowler began working for the law firm of Michael S. Perry, PA. As an attorney for the firm, Mr. Fowler defends clients involved in all aspects of criminal law. He has a unique advantage defending clients in that having recently come from the State Attorney's Office, he has an intimate knowledge of how the prosecutors currently prepare a case for prosecution, enabling him to better prepare a defense for each individual client. He will go above and beyond to help people dealing with the struggles of being charged with a criminal offense, and will use all his experience to mitigate the effects such prosecution can have on a person.

Mr. Fowler is a member of the Florida Bar and the Sarasota County Bar Association. He has very strong ties with the Sarasota/Bradenton community where his family has resided in Sarasota/Bradenton since the early 1900's. Mr. Fowler is engaged in various volunteer activities in Sarasota County including his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He is a member of the American Inns of Court, National Association of Criminal Defense lawyers and Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.