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.
Joseph Goebbels would have been proud of that little bit of propaganda for the death cult.
When you believe that God determines when we are born and die, it crosses over different instances of lawmaking abuse. If you believe that man is out of his realm when killing off the weak in society, it will show in any discussion of a manmade law that furthers the right to kill others.
So what you are saying is medical intervention is what God intends and the wishes of individuals' should be ignored...It is your Faith which should determine how long my death should last. Thanks, but no thanks.
My argument was not frivolous. How can we dismiss the same argument that resulted in thousands of more deaths--give inspections one more try--and then turn around and say after more than a decade of legal process, that it wasn't enough for the Shiavo case?
As to the pundits you listed and many more...I've lost all trust in them. I will take pleasure in not renewing my Rush 24/7 subscription for a third time in Febuary. And will not buy any more conservative pundits' books. Not that I would have ever bought Hannity's.
What an asinine thing to write...but about on par for what passes as communication skills for you. Don't bother to communicate with me any further.
Thanks.
Well considering he killed no one and just upheld a guardianship issue, if any blame is to be laid, blame Schiavo. But if I was in his situation (without the other wife and kids), I more than likely would have done the same thing.
Since the law says kill a non-dying woman, we, of course, kill her.
No, the law was clear, let nature take its course. Considering she was coming to the end of the general lifespan of PVS cases, just how much longer could she have lived? No, I agree, Greer should have turned her over to her family so they could sit in vigil around a non feeling body. Heaven knows they would keep her alive at all costs even up to against her wishes
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.
Hey, I don't have to worry. I know where I'm going when I die. I have told all family members when the doc says it's time to go to not let the door hit them in the tail on the their way out to live the rest of their lives. I also know that we are not always necessarily to judge
However, I believe you are arguing I should be the sort of Christian that advocates tarring and feathering and hanging of those that disagree with me? Nice...
How is that propaganda? Maybe you might want to live that way for decades, but don't push your pro-life cult orthodoxy on everyone else. You'll not like the anger you'll create at the polls.
Exactly where did I say that? As a matter of fact I was pointing out that the other poster had not said that either. If there is a diversion being created it is by the people who do spout such radical statements, and calling them radical is a kindness. And, yes, it does change the validity of the issue. Who is to believe such people who advocate vigilantism and violence? People who believe and repeat everything spouted in the media? I remember a time when we were skeptical of that. It would be nice if you would answer my questions instead of attempting to twist what I said.
Care to answer my question about why so many judges seem to be so ignorant of Article One, Section Two of the Florida Constitution and the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution?
Or are you going to ignore it as all the lawyers have seemed to do throughout this case?
Okay let me break it down for you in the most base statement that you could understand.
Private property = not a place where cracked protestors can park unless receiving permission
Local businesses = those companies that lost money because the 'caring' protestors' presence was preventing businesses from carrying out day to day operations because of traffic
Other families = those who the protestors were preventing at times from getting into the hospice to see their loved ones
Medical cases = falls under Madison's Federalist #45 as 'all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people'
Is that simple enough for you or should I draw a pictogram?
screw the locals' grass.
Good to see you have such an indifference for private property. You'll make a good subject.
Inalienable rights are not given by the electorate, they are God-given.
To wit:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
The first duty of our government; the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislative branches; is to protect the lives of its citizens.
Judge Greer and all who empowered him did exactly the opposite, violating their sworn oaths.
If you have a specific case to make regarding Constitutional case law in this matter then do so. You might appear to be a little more informed about Constitutional law if you will review the cases I noted in post#150. You are like the writer who hopes his book will sell based on the title of the book...instead of on it's content.
As usual, you completely ignore what those provisions of our constitutions say. I've asked the same thing of lawyers defending Greer's actions hundreds of times in recent months. Never gotten a straight answer once.
It would be humorous if it wasn't so serious.
Your choice - we listen to and buy books from those whose views we agree with.
In fact, she was granted her wishe not to have her life prolonged by artificial and extraordinary medical intervention.
Then why is she dead?
I agree let nature take its course - no need for man to interfere.
And, just where did I advocate tar and feathering? I thoroughly dislike Greer and think he did wrong by Terri, in a lot of ways. If you want to support a county judge that had a predetermined outcome for the case, who refused a new look at the case with new eyes, who thumbed his nose at Gov. Bush and a federal subpoena and a federal law asking for a new look - fine, just go right ahead.
I find it really suspicious that a case of one man wanting to exercise his right to kill a wife for his convenience, would lead to a county judge ignoring a subpoena, ignoring a federal law asking for a new look, would have a county judge ignore the Governor and the President of the U.S. Seems a little excessive.
I just wonder why the mad rush to kill this woman.
Could it be that it allowed "hearsay" evidence to be used in "pull the plug" cases thereby setting precedence for future cases? And just why would they want that?
And, I don't judge you at all. You have an opinion, I have an opinion. I just find it hard to understand when Christians don't see anything wrong with the government killing American citizens.
Just where is your overwhelming proof of this? This is another contention - there is no real proof other than a suspect husband's sudden memory of one statement by a 26 year old after 7 years and a malpractice settlement providing him funds to care for her over her life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.