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The Lawrence Affair (title may change) is a feature-length documentary that tells the true story of a corrupt undercover police officer and the impact of his actions. Using firsthand interviews, this film will unravel the tensions of the time and draw parallels to our current environment.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s Vermont was the destination state in New England for the counterculture. However, many longtime residents were not happy about the new arrivals in their rural state. In response, the police (state and local) embarked on an aggressive law-and-order campaign. It was a war against the counterculture.
Enter the undercover police officer Paul Lawrence. Within the first year of his hiring in one small Vermont city, Lawrence made 106 drug-related arrests, an unheard-of number, and was lauded as a “super cop.” These arrests and subsequent convictions were based on falsified evidence. Paul Lawrence lied about virtually all of his supposed drug buys.
Tipped off by another undercover officer (Kevin Bradley), the young State’s Attorney Patrick Leahy learned of these suspicious arrests. What followed was a sophisticated and dramatic sting involving an undercover agent from New York City dubbed “the rabbi.” Paul Lawrence was caught and the falsely accused vindicated but not without lifelong consequences.
Directed by: Ben Silberfarb
Produced by: Sawyer Broadley, Maggie Cassidy, Andrew Lund & Ben Silberfarb
Production Company: Humble Light Films