Florida lawmaker says he will consider impeaching Schiavo Judge Greer

Salt Lake Trib/Cox News ^ | March 30 05 | Dara Kam

[churchillbuff]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The state House Judiciary Committee chairman said Tuesday he will consider starting an impeachment investigation of the state judge in the Terri Schiavo case, but said he thought it unlikely that the judge would be impeached. Christian conservatives and advocates of the disabled have launched an Internet campaign and collected more than 28,000 electronic signatures in favor of impeaching Pinellas County Circuit Judge George Greer, who has presided for seven years over the legal battle between Schiavo's husband, Michael Schiavo, and her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Greer allowed Michael Schiavo to have her nutrition and hydration tube removed March 18. He contends she would have wanted its removal, but the parents want to keep her alive. ''People have asked me to seek to impeach him,'' said House Judiciary Committee Chairman David Simmons, R-Longwood, which he said was not unusual given his position. Article 3, Section 17 of the Florida Constitution says circuit judges ''shall be liable to impeachment for misdemeanor in office.'' Such a move would require a two-thirds vote by the state House to impeach, and then a two-thirds vote by the state Senate to convict, with the chief justice of the state Supreme Court presiding over the trial before the Senate. ''I think that's a pretty heavy burden to sustain,'' Simmons

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said Tuesday. Simmons said he has received ''numerous e-mails'' asking for an investigation. ''We will look at it and analyze it,'' said Simmons, who is a lawyer. But Simmons added, ''I'm not committing to do anything other than review what any constituent tells me, as a representative and as chairman of the Judiciary [Committee], to look at.'' Stories about the severely brain-damaged woman, appeals for donations to defray legal expenses, and ''Action Alerts'' urging visitors to contact state and federal lawmakers dominate Christian conservative and anti-abortion Web sites. ''She will be a martyr when she dies,'' Simmons predicted. Although it appears that time has run out for the legislature to act in time to halt Schiavo's impending death, Simmons said he intends to work with the Senate to prevent future situations.

[kingattax]

PING

[winstonchurchill]

Right now they are circling the wagons. The legal representation for Terri was probably pretty bad so the early appeals may have had flaws,as the case kept going on and on the courts could probably see the holes in the case but then they would be reversing themselves so they don't do it.

So that's your explanation for the federal courts turning the parents down. You think that the District Judge and the 11th Circuit "...could probably see the holes in the case but then they would be reversing themselves..." on a case they had never heard before. Hmmmm???

Do you think it could possibly be they didn't overturn Judge Greer's determination because it was -- oh, say -- lawful and just? Nahh. A big conspiracy is always more likely isn't it? I think it would be a good time to put the cool cloth on your fevered brow.

[grassboots.org]

No, this is a different clip altogether. There is no balloon over her head. It is a doctor asking her to open here eyes.

[af_vet_1981]

Consider? He has to take the time to even consider? I think it should be a done deal.

Bump for truth

[TheCrusader]

"The state House Judiciary Committee chairman said Tuesday he will consider starting an impeachment investigation of the state judge in the Terri Schiavo case, but said he thought it unlikely that the judge would be impeached."

He sounds like Jeb and George W, they give up before the fight even begins. Maybe they've been drinking too much French wine.

[TheCrusader]

"The cops there say they are just doing their jobs,"

That's what they always say when they abuse people, and it always works for them.

[AmishDude]

That's a problem. Technically, a judge can be impeached for any "reason". The mechanism is a vote. But I would like to see a statement in state and (we can only hope) Federal Constitutions saying that any judge can be impeached for bad decisions.

Of course, accepting hearsay testimony is enough for me.

[pennpal]

You've figured out the first part of the problem. On Quinn this morning, he mentioned that the sheriff was in Judge Greer's reelection advertisements to show he was tough on crime although he is not a judge on criminal cases. The big issue is that the common law wife of Michael Schiavo works in the Sheriff's office

[glory2]

You can email Representative Simmons who is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee at:

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/email_representative_form.aspx?id=4207

Though I am not a Florida citizen, the US vacations in Florida and we eat a lot of produce from the state. Terri is a citizen of the United States and we all have a right to speak in her defense and against a corrupt judge.

[AmishDude]

(it really is on a number of levels).

Can you give a for instance?

[northernlightsII]

They refused to do what they were legally obligated to do under the act of Congress,which was to look at it de novo. Whittemore refused to do it. He looked at the old record to refuse the TRO.
WHY DID THEY REFUSE TO LOOK AT IT DE NOVO?
THat would have meant making new findings of facts,showing their brthren to have been wrong many times.
Also Whittemore was a FL. state judge for many years before he was appointed to the 11th D.
If you don't think that judges stick together,you don't know anything about judges.
It is not a conspiracy it is simply thet they belong to an exclusive club.

[DustyMoment]

I want to know about the legality of Greer ordering all those cops to surround the hospice, and - supposedly - a shoot order, if state officials showed up to rescue Terri.

I don't believe that is true. What I am given to understand happened is this:
Gov. Bush had members of the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement (FDLE) ready to go to Pinellas Park and remove Terri under state custody so he could get the feeding tube re-inserted prior to Greer issuing an order that blocked the Gov. from taking that action. As a courtesy to the local gendarmes, the FDLE notified the Pinellas Park gendarmes that they might be coming in to take Terri under state protective custody. It was the Pinellas Park gendarmes who responded that that would be an unwise action to take that would result in a standoff.

So, what we had, was a local police chief telling a state police agency NOT to attempt to carry out the orders of the governor. This is, IMO, one of the major reasons Gov. Bush has backed off of ordering any state police, DCF or FLNG to forcibly remove Terri. The potential for an armed standoff is real and could lead to a bad situation becoming exacerbated by a factor of 10 or better.

[N. Beaujon]

It would be a waste of time and taxpayers' money since Greer has technically done nothing illegal and would most assuredly survive any serious impeachment inquery on that basis.

Nothing illegal? Let's try the following, on the criminal side: Murder, conspiracy to committ murder, assault, battery, mayhem, false imprisonment....

On the civil side: Negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, wrongful death, violation of civil liberties (religious, freedom of speech, expression, liberty)...

I'm tired, it's been a long day but with very little effort I'm sure I can come up with more.

[Ohioan from Florida]

Terri ping! If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my Terri ping list, please let me know by FReepmail!

[Van Jenerette]

..for reading.

[hattend]

One guy says it so it's news.

When there are enough people in the state house and the Senate on record saying they will actually do it, I'll listen to them.

[N. Beaujon]

Please God, imprison this guy. Feeding her as an "experimental proceedure"?? This is a rogue court. It almost makes the 9th circuit look sane.

[GeekDejure]

The power of impeachment lies solely with the Legislative branch. It does not follow that just because his appeals were upheld he can not be impeached. He might survive, but then again maybe not.
=======

Court Order: "Know ye now that the Legislative branch is prohibited by court order from impeaching me... um... Judge George Greer. Period, end of magnificent judicial order !!!

Furthermore... two witnesses have also given hearsay testimony which concurs with said order !!! ;-))

[TheCrusader]

"Do you think it could possibly be they didn't overturn Judge Greer's determination because it was -- oh, say -- lawful and just?"

Lawful perhaps, but certainly not 'just'.

The world has a history of making bad laws and then reversing them later on. Don't lose sight of the fact that slavery was legal in America, Jews in Hitler's Germany were outlawed from society, Christians in Stalin's Russia were suppressed and murdered, all under the pretense that it was "lawful".

And let's not forget here that some of the appellate judges fully concurred with Terri Schiavo's lawyers and excoriated the judges who dismissed the appeals.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I have no dog in this argument, and as an impartial observer, I'm just stating the facts as I see them. It seems to me that a lot of folks around here are getting entirely carried away with their rhetoric. Just MHO....