Spencer Lawton
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Spencer Lawton | |
|---|---|
| District attorney for Chatham County, Georgia | |
| In office 1981–2008 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 19, 1943 |
| Died | November 13, 2024 (aged 81) Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Ann Woolner (m. 2008) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Georgia School of Law Tulane University |
| Occupation | Attorney, journalist |
Spencer Lawton Jr. (July 19, 1943 – November 13, 2024) was an American attorney. He was district attorney for Chatham County, Georgia, between 1981 and 2008,[1] and for the Eastern Judicial Circuit.[2] He was known for serving as the prosecutor of preservationist James Arthur Williams in his trial for the alleged murder of Danny Hansford.
Lawton was born on July 19, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan, to Spencer Lawton Sr.[3][4] (1918–1999) and Sarah "Sally" Parker (1919–2017).[5][6] He was their eldest son. After being raised in Savannah, Georgia, Lawton moved with his family to Atlanta. He graduated from Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia.[7]
He began at the University of Georgia (UGA) in 1961. He served in the U.S. Air Force between 1962 and 1966. After the Air Force, he studied at Tulane University and graduated with a science degree. He returned to UGA for law school and graduated in 1971,[7] after which he began working for Lawton, Sipple and Chamlee, a firm begun by his great-grandfather.[8]