Posted on 05/02/2005 5:06:09 AM PDT by Quaker
NEW PORT RICHEY - Pinellas- Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer, who was thrust into the national spotlight and scrutinized by pro-life advocates during the Terri Schiavo case, was a consistent judge who followed the law, colleagues say.
His professionalism and integrity was punctuated by the way he handled the Schiavo case, said Alan Scott Miller, a New Port Richey lawyer and member of the West Pasco Bar Association.
As part of Law Week, which kicks off today, the association will award Greer, 63, its Special Justice Award.
``He's getting this award for all of his contributions on the bench, not just the Schiavo case,'' Miller said. ``It's like a lifetime achievement award for an actor.''
Greer will receive the award during a banquet Thursday at the Heritage Springs Golf and Country Club, 11345 Robert Trent Jones Parkway.
For years, Greer presided over the politically and emotionally charged Schiavo case, which ended when the 41- year-old woman died March 31, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed a third time on a court order.
Some doctors said Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state since suffering brain damage after her heart stopped in 1990.
Her husband, Michael, fought for years to have her feeding stopped, saying his wife didn't want to be kept alive by artificial means.
Her parents, hoping she would recover, fought him in court after court.
Eventually, Florida's governor and Legislature and then Congress took up the battle.
Supporters and detractors watched as Greer made rulings backing Terri Schiavo's purported wishes and received threats on his life.
``I don't think anyone could ever say his decisions were unlawful,'' said Joan Nelson Hook, president of the West Pasco Bar Association. ``They were very thoughtful. His decisions were meticulous.
``We admired his ability to sustain the pressure not to follow the law. ... I think that shows his character.''
Steve Doran, association president-elect, echoed Hook's thoughts on Greer's handling of the Schiavo case.
``His decisions in that unfortunate case withstood the test of every appellate court in the country,'' Doran said. ``Those who are criticizing him are not seeing the big picture.''
When the association voted this month on this year's recipient of the Special Justice Award, the result was almost unanimous for Greer.
``He's a man of integrity. He's followed the flow. He's done an excellent job on the bench,'' said Miller. ``That's why he's getting this award.''
In addition to Greer's award, the Law Week celebration offers events that allow the community to get a closer look at what the West Pasco Bar Association and the law profession are about, Hook said.
``It's an opportunity to interact with all levels of the community,'' she said.
``It's not just about battles; law is a way of life.''
Here are some events:
* Representatives of the association will be at Gulf View Square mall in Port Richey offering free legal advice from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
* All week, 22 lawyers will visit Pasco schools to discuss the law and this week's national theme, ``The American Jury: We the People in Action.''
* The 2nd District Court of Appeal will hold a special session at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the West Pasco Government Center, 7530 Little Road, in county commission chambers.
* Business suits, shoes and accessories will be collected at area law offices for Connections, a not-for-profit organization that helps people looking for jobs.
The following law offices are collecting men's and women's apparel:
The Law Offices of Attridge, Cohen & Lucas, 7136 Little Road, New Port Richey; The O'Conner Law Group, 9735 U.S. 19, Suite 2, Port Richey; Pejot Law, 11911 Pine Forest Drive, New Port Richey; and The Law Offices of Gay & Ehrhardt, 5318 Balsam St., New Port Richey.
Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083.
The mother can not get child support for at least one of her children because the sperm donor she choose has been in and out of prison and is currently back in.
This has been in a few of the news reports I've read, sorry no link though it was on FR.
Just go ahead and misrepresent and lie about others to your heart's content in order to justify your hate that you then call some kind of respect for life.
It's insane.
Women need to be more selective when we "choose" our childrens fathers...
So you agree with poster who said the judge should be drawn and quartered? You think that vigilantism is the answer to any thing? And I see no so-called judicial tyranny in this case. All of the courts that reviewed the case agreed. Or would you do away with the judicial system entirely? Let mob rule decide? Grab your torches? What about a judicial decision that you agree with but others don't. Would you feel the same? Would it be okay for them to use vigilantism in that case?
Such was not my intent and if it appeared so to anyone I apologize for any misunderstanding.
The vitriolic hatred they exhibit has nothing to do with Christianity.
On that I can only say Amen.
Very good points and I truly hope all was done fairly for Terri.
However, there are still actions that led to questions by the public that make this case become a national tragedy.
If all was investigated medically and fully proved, why were they so unwilling to have a new look by new eyes at the facts? Their decisions to ignore the federal law to relook, showed there was something they did not wish seen.
Terri's case assaulted the public and, therefore, the courts should have handled the case with transparency to prove to the public that this decision was not man wanting the right to kill the weak, but truly in compliance with her wishes. They could not prove her wishes. Therefore, they should have allowed the parents to take control of her.
But, the purpose was to "get on the record" acceptance of "hearsay" evidence as to her wishes. This allows the State of Florida the right to handle many cases of those whose wishes are not specified to the benefit of the State, Medicaid, Medicare.
So, again, we are back to the laws being manipulated to allow state murder for benefit and they are getting the just outrage by those who believe in the sanctity of life and see this trend as destructive to America and an offense to the rights of citizens.
Even if one state court judge's decision constitutes judicial tyranny I certainly don't suggest - as many here have - hanging, drawing and quartering, vandalism, harassment and the execution of certain government officials. That many here, who call themselves Christians, are calling for such anarchy and the murder of judges is just amazing, outrageous and pathetic. It's quite a bit more "Nazi-like" than anything done in Pinellas County, at any rate.
Exactly. To see how cold we are as a nation, this fact is totally ignored by the anti-Terri crowd.
Guess they do not care that the state and doctors decide when their child has to be killed. All the while saying uphold the law because the law is always right.
There was nothing right, pure, about how Mrs. Schlinder was treated, how Terri was forced to die without the comfort of her parents with her.
Wow, you have hit the nail on the head!
Since God will forgive Greer with grace, we are not to care how many he kills.
Since the law says kill a non-dying woman, we, of course, kill her.
You are the perfect Christian to live in a world where evil is at work running God out of America. Just don't worry until it hits your family.
I'd be happy if women would stop having children with different men, wait until they are married to have the little darlings and make sure they are both able to support the children they produce.
If that fails, how about being responsible and using birth control.
This guy Greer may know the law but he sure lacks wisdom.
Funny how easily you group all Terri supporters into the "fringe", "radical" category.
Did you ever think that maybe those "freaks" were plants that Felos put there to make the pro-Terri supporters look ridiculous?
Felos had a goal in this case, don't you think he calculated how to counter the Christian opposers of his "elite" plan to promote euthanasia of the unwanteds?
How could he counter them? The easiest way is to pay jugglers, samba dancers. Then all the Christians would be discounted and his goal march forward.
Find Scriptures that support your view that God approves of the murder of those who are disabled/dependant/helpless/needing food-water/etc.
NO, I do NOT teach my kids that. I teach them things that are in DIRECT OPPOSITE to what this 'judge' has committed.
The Supreme Law of the land proceeds from the Word.
The NEXT supreme law proceeds from the US Constitution.
The NEXT SL law proceeds from the STATE's Constitution.
ANY laws after that, HAVE to be based on the above 3.
Can you cite examples where greer honored the above 3 LOTL and ruled accordingly?
And if killing off someone is a personal matter between 2 people, then PLEASE contact God to get Him to cancel out that Commandment. And let us know when it's done. (because there are a few OTHER Commandments that we can change around)
After all, we passed a Constitutional Amendment protecting pregnant pigs...that is now a law "on the books". Why didn't didn't supporters of changing the law removing artificial hydration and nutrition from the list of artificial life sustaining methods currently set into place, gather the signatures necessary and put it to a State vote. Simple ballot question...
If all was investigated medically and fully proved, why were they so unwilling to have a new look by new eyes at the facts? Their decisions to ignore the federal law to relook, showed there was something they did not wish seen.That was the same argument the left used against going to war to oust Saddam...give inspections one more chance. Rush Limbaugh dismissed that POV and I agreed. But Limbaugh has since showed his inconsistency by taking the opposite position, the one you argue over the Shiavo case. But then consistency seems to be a problem for many conservatives. Even recently Limbaugh has claimed through his attorneys that there actually is a Constitutional right to privacy. Something he's always claimed never existed.
What lies?
What misrepresentation?
If Terri's case had been handled with transparency, a new medical review with different people, further tests, it would have settled many public questions.
However, people are not blind and things have to pass the smell test. As we have seen done on FR. This case did not pass the smell test.
Maybe you are correct - but the public has finally realized that there are people instigating laws that will kill off those "they" deem unworthy to live. We feel this is murder - pure and simple no matter how society justifies it.
We have seen that it is possible for a lawyer with an agenda of euthanasia of the "unworthies", can exert the influence of a powerful base in that county, can have a likeminded judge rule in his favor, and can systematically get end-of-life laws altered to broaden the ability to end lives.
Why are we to discount what Felos, Michael and Greer might be up to?
Could it be because it furthers your own desire to end the lives of unworthies?
Well. I'm sure there will be lots of excuses to that question. They didn't know about it. But then ignorance of the law is no excuse. Or they aren't from Florida. But then, have they done anything about their own state's laws? Or perhaps there is some guilt involved here. After all, they allowed the law which "killed" Terri to stand and did nothing to change it until it was too late?
There is. however, a Constitutional right to privacy written into the Fl. State Constitution. Put there in the late 80s by a vote of the general population of Fl. to amend their Fl. State Constitution. Simple ballot question.
What misrepresentation?
~snip~
From the same post:
Could it be because it furthers your own desire to end the lives of unworthies?
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