[3] He attended Brockton High School until his junior year, when he left to enlist in the United States Army.

[6] During his tenure as Registrar, Lawton supported mandatory use of seat belts, licensing for auto mechanics, compulsory vehicle inspections, and retraining for drivers with frequent violations.

In February 1995, Lawton presided over a child custody case involving 10-year-old identical twin girls.

[2] The decision gained national attention and lingered in court until 1998, when a different judge placed both twins with their mother.

[3] Lawton remained a judge until October 20, 1995, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy.

[2] From 1969 until his death, Lawton was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, the New England School of Law.

They had five sons, one of whom, Mark Lawton, also served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and as a state court judge.