Charles Branson, Douglas County district attorney, has promoted two assistant district attorneys and hired a third.

Amy McGowan now is chief assistant district attorney for trial management. She has been an assistant in the office since January 2005, after 16 years with the district attorney’s office in Jackson County, Mo., where she worked as a senior trial attorney in the general crimes unit and as a trial team leader in the sex crimes unit, drug crimes unit and family support unit. She earned a law degree in 1984 from Kansas University.

David Melton now is chief assistant district attorney for administration. He also has been an assistant in the office since January 2005, after five years with the Leavenworth County Attorney’s Office, where he handled general felony and drug prosecutions and created a domestic violence prosecution unit. The former Merriam police officer earned a law degree in 1998 from KU.

Kathleen “Katy” Britton stared Monday as an assistant district attorney, responsible for prosecuting domestic violence cases. Britton, who earned a law degree at the University of Nebraska, worked previously in the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office in Lincoln, Neb.