CA: role model

Defender Lawrence Never Lost His Passsion

Not many public defenders get sued by their clients, especially clients who are acquitted of murder.

It happened to Michael Lawrence, but he shrugs it off with an ease gained by 33 years of work in Monterey County's criminal justice system.

Friday mark(ed) the last day for Lawrence, 65, as the county's public defender. Since 1979, he has been the county's third public defender and, in the process, he became the longest-tenured public defender in state history...