
Beth Kassab, Sentinel Columnist8:06 p.m. EST, May 19, 2012 Rosemary and Joe DuRocher are seen here in a 2008 photograph. (Sentinel file / May 19, 2012)Across Central Florida there are public defenders, judges, attorneys and at least one teacher united by a special common bond. All consider Joe DuRocher their mentor. The former longtime Orange-Osceola public defender fought tirelessly for people who couldn't fight for themselves, pursued equality for all and devoted himself to his wife, three children and the hundreds of lawyers who considered him a sage counselor and friend. DuRocher, 73, died early Saturday after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. For many in powerful positions today, it was DuRocher's unyielding demands for excellence and high ethics that set them on a path ...
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