Bethel's family moved to Key West when he was 2; his father, Winer Bethel (1816-1877), was a lawyer who later served as a circuit court judge and was elected mayor of Key West in the early 1870s.
L. W. Bethel attended school in Key West and at Walnut Hill Military Academy, Geneva, NY.
William D. Bloxham selected him as his running mate on the Democratic ticket in 1880 and he served as Lieutenant Governor 1881–4.
Bethel suffered a long illness in his final year on the court, leading ultimately to open calls for his resignation shortly before his death.
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