Warning, some may find this disturbing!
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That's what you need when the story is careening all over the public highway. You need steadiness, often from a judge. At the center of the Schiavo case was a little-known Pinellas County probate judge named George Greer. A deeply religious man, he endured a shunning by his church and threats from people who claimed to be acting in God's name. The case tore him up, friends said, because of what was at stake. In public, though, Judge Greer never let his emotions or his personal beliefs get the better of him. He ruled on the law. Snip... Asking for dignity, then crying Judge Greer used stoicism. Judge Harper used humor. Each dealt capably in his own way with a trial that could have gotten out of hand. In the Anna Nicole Smith case, that didn't happen. Presiding was Broward County Circuit Judge Larry Seidlin. Word is that he hoped to parlay the exposure into his own "judge" TV show, as if there aren't already enough of those. The judge sure looked as though he were auditioning. "Don't test me," he said to one lawyer. "I've been tested by the best." Early on, he claimed "control" over Ms. Smith's remains. Shades of Al Haig after Ronald Reagan was shot. Judge Seidlin, though, saved his worst for Thursday, when he announced his ruling. "This is not a happy moment," he said to open his bizarre performance. "I hope we're dignified," he said, before crying four times. After placing Ms. Smith's remains under control of the child's guardian, the judge said, "I hope to God you guys give the kid the right shot." This was after he speculated about Mr. Stern's motivations. Judge Seidlin should have brought order. He did just the opposite. Even HCD Research released poll results showing that 68 percent of Americans found the judge's behavior inappropriate. So, there goes the TV show. Maybe.
A lurid story meets an odd Broward judge
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