Working through the wait

Lee Bentley enjoys arguing. It's the trait that made him want to become a lawyer. “I'm a little bit of a contrarian,” he admits.

But he doesn't let his love of arguing get in the way of doing what's right.

The 55-year-old interim U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida is known for his careful deliberation of cases, even if it means dismissing them when it becomes clear that a person isn't guilty or hasn't defrauded the government. In some cases, “it wouldn't be fair to put the defendant through a criminal trial, even if we thought we had a chance at conviction,” Bentley says.