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Spencer Lawton, Jr. ran for the office of district attorney for Georgia’s Eastern Judicial Circuit (Savannah) after spending the first ten years of his legal career in private practice. When his private practice partner was elevated to the bench, Lawton was forced to make a potentially life-changing career decision. On a whim, he decided to become a candidate for district attorney. To his astonishment, he won, and he has never been more satisfied with his work. Said Lawton, “[As prosecutors], we work where the prerogatives of a civilized society and the rights of individuals collide. There’s nothing ambiguous about it. At the end of the day there’s a winner and a loser and we all know which is which.” Lawton was elected district attorney for the Eastern Judicial Circuit in 1980, took office in 1981 and has held that seat ever since. He serves a single county (Chatham County) with a population of close to a quarter of a million people. Most jurisdictions in Georgia employ a solicitor general to handle all misdemeanor cases, however in Chatham County, Lawton himself serves as the solicitor, handing all misdemeanors as well as felonies. He manages an office of 34 assistant district attorneys and approximately 70 support staff, and his office indicts approximately 2,800 felony cases annually. The Eastern Judicial Circuit has six active superior court judges and three misdemeanor (state court) judges. Lawton claims that the crack epidemic of the 1980s was the most significant turning point for Chatham County. His office had been steadily expanding since 1985 when the drug problem really took hold. He cites the overwhelming growth of drug use as the biggest problem his jurisdiction faces, and he also recognizes that his jurisdiction is only one of many facing similar issues. Lawton claims, “In both relative and absolute terms, the frequency and virulence of drug use has increased its pace for decades. Of all things that undermine the social fabric, drug use is the most obvious and severe.” Early in his career Lawton developed an interest in the rights and safety of the victims of the crimes he prosecutes. He said, “Pounding bad guys who need it would be a satisfying career in and of itself. What makes it infinitely more satisfying is that we also have an opportunity to vindicate the rights of victims, which they don’t get anywhere else. It humanizes the job. It makes it unlike any other kind of law practice.” In 1983, just two years after he took office, Lawton founded the first prosecutor-based victim witness assistance program in the state of Georgia—his proudest achievement as district attorney. The groundbreaking program has since developed into a highly functioning staple of the Eastern Judicial Circuit and has inspired the creation of similar programs in jurisdictions throughout Georgia. Today, the program has nine permanent staff members and an invaluable team of professional volunteers. Lawton credits the success of the program to the work of the volunteers and their commitment to witness protection. Lawton’s passionate devotion to ethics and the enduring pursuit of justice is commendable. He appreciates the values that prosecutors stand for. “Prosecutors are held to a higher ethical standard than any other lawyer in the country, which is ennobling in my opinion,” said Lawton. He finds prosecution to be a dignified and rewarding profession. He said, “I can’t think of anything more fulfilling for a lawyer than being a prosecutor. There is no better job on earth.” To new prosecutors, Lawton says, “never lose sight of our larger purpose, which is to do justice.” Spencer Lawton has certainly followed his own advice. He has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to ensure that justice is done and that the integrity of the criminal justice system is protected. His prosecutorial career and his veracity in pursuing justice is something to be admired. |
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