[2] He was known for serving as the prosecutor of preservationist James Arthur Williams in his trial for the alleged murder of Danny Hansford.
He returned to UGA and graduated in 1971,[7] after which he began working for Lawton, Simple and Chamblee, a firm begun by his great-grandfather.
[3] Lawton came to prominence as the prosecutor of preservationist James Arthur Williams in his trial for the alleged murder of Danny Hansford, a story documented in John Berendt's 1994 book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
[9] Lawton was renamed Finley Largent in the 1997 movie adaptation, a role played by Bob Gunton.
[15] Lawton died on November 13, 2024 at his home in Savannah, Georgia from heart disease at the age of 81.