Who is Jonathan Beltzer from One True Thing and what is their importance?

Jonathan Beltzer is Ellen's boyfriend whom she met in an AP English class. He is in law school, and is described as "good looking in an odd way". His eyes are a little too close together and he has full red lips, dirty blonde hair, and a strong jaw. He had been abandoned by his mother as a young boy and found her again when he was twelve. When he relocated his mother, she had no interest in rekindling a relationship with him. For this reason, he is somewhat detached from his relationships with women, including Ellen. Jonathan is the one who turns Ellen into the district attorney, claiming that he knows Ellen wanted to kill her mother. He does this after Ellen breaks up with him, and in the hopes that his involvement in the case will open doors for his law career later in life.