ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — When State Court docket Decide Kent Lawrence died in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had compelled the cancellation of conventional funeral providers.
On Monday, the Western Circuit Bar Affiliation held a belated memorial service luncheon in Athens for the longtime Clarke County State Court docket choose who established Georgia’s first DUI/Drug Court docket.
A number of members of the family, together with his spouse, Karlene Lawrence, attended the luncheon, the place Lawrence’s legacy in Athens was remembered by State Court docket Decide Charles Auslander and Superior Court docket Decide Lawton Stephens.
Many College of Georgia soccer followers keep in mind Lawrence as a star huge receiver.
“In case you have been a baby rising up in Athens, Georgia, within the Nineteen Sixties, Kent Lawrence was a family identify,” Stephens mentioned in regards to the man who turned his shut good friend throughout their time with the judicial department of legislation.
However after Lawrence’s enjoying days in school and the NFL, he returned to Athens to acquire a grasp’s diploma whereas working for the UGA Police Division. In 1974, he turned the primary police chief for the newly shaped Clarke County Police Division, in response to Auslander, who described Lawrence’s rise to a seat on the bench the place he was appointed in 1986 to the judgeship.
“He realized he had a real love for the legislation and determined he would enter legislation faculty whereas he was working full time,” Auslander mentioned.
Nevertheless it was whereas working in legislation enforcement after which as a lawyer that Auslander mentioned Lawrence turned “bored with seeing the identical folks coming earlier than him with substance abuse points” with no different answer supplied however extra jail time.
In 2000, Lawrence created the primary DUI courtroom, however with no such program in Georgia, he traveled to New York, Michigan and New Mexico to review how comparable courts operated, in response to Auslander.
In the present day, the courtroom has 17 probation officers to oversee greater than 3,000 folks, and Lawrence additionally put in a drug lab that may present drug-testing leads to a hour.
“He was not a mean particular person. He was not a mean lawyer. He was not a mean choose. He didn’t settle for the established order,” Auslander mentioned, including “he blazed a path that we now comply with.”
Stephens recalled that at age 12 he attended the 1966 UGA recreation in opposition to Georgia Tech, which was undefeated. He watched as Lawrence went out to return a punt.
“He took the punt again 75 yards for a landing and we beat Tech and ruined their undefeated season,” Stephens mentioned.
Lawrence was a gifted athlete, “however you’d by no means realize it when you noticed him play golf,” Stephens joked as he leveled good-natured barbs that good buddies share with fun.
“I’ll miss your compassion for the underdog and people folks having a tough time in life, who got here to your courtroom searching for justice and located it,” he mentioned.
“He knew that on the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what number of touchdowns you rating. It doesn’t’ matter what number of instances you win. What actually issues is how many individuals you assist alongside the best way and what number of lives you’ve saved. By that measure, the legacy of Kent Lawrence won’t ever be forgotten,” Stephens mentioned.
Bar Affiliation President Gregory Sowell instructed the gathering the Georgia Athletic Division has established a scholarship endowment for a student-athlete pursuing a level in legal justice. To contribute to the endowment in Lawrence’s honor, go to
https://thegeorgiabulldogclub.com/judgekentlawrence/
