Posted on 03/28/2002 6:47:21 AM PST by Jambe
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida Supreme Court (news - web sites) Justice Major Harding, who took part in the legal battle over the 2000 presidential election, is retiring after 11 years on the court.
Harding, who wrote decisions on issues ranging from paternal rights to the electric chair, said he's been thinking about retirement for a while. The 66-year-old jurist's current six-year term was to end in early 2005; instead, he will retire Aug. 31.
Harding served on the high court when, during two nationally televised hearings, it allowed Vice President Al Gore (news - web sites) to recount Florida ballots in the politically explosive 2000 presidential election. He voted for Gore's position in one ruling, and against him in the next.
"It was a time when we were confronted with legal issues and we had to resolve them," Harding said. "We also recognized that it would be very difficult for the general public to understand in a case like that that the court was not involved in the political aspects of it.
"But we weren't involved in that, we were involved in settling the legal issues."
Gov. Jeb Bush, who said Harding "served this state with unsurpassed excellence," will appoint his successor from a list of candidates submitted by a nine-member nominating commission.
It will be Bush's first sole appointment. He and the late Gov. Lawton Chiles jointly appointed Justice Peggy Quince in late 1998 after Bush's election and before he took office.
Harding, a circuit judge before he was named to the court in 1991, wrote decisions on several controversial issues during his tenure.
In 1995, Harding wrote that unmarried men who fail to give emotional support to women pregnant with their children forfeit any right to challenge adoptions.
In 1997, he wrote an opinion urging lawmakers to consider allowing lethal injections. The state eventually switched the primary method of execution from electrocution to lethal injection.
Two years ago, Harding wrote a unanimous opinion overturning a law designed to speed up death penalty appeals, ruling the law trespassed on the jurisdiction of courts and violated separation of powers.
Sheesh.
One down and 6 to go. Repub's and conservatives should vote in mass in November simply because there will be an opportunity to kick another one of these Clymers off the SC. That would give JEB a second appointment counting replacing Harding.
I think it's time to surpass him. Help is on the way.
Florida, please take vote these dangerous lunatics off the bench.
And if I'm not mistaken, won't FLORIDA VOTERS also have the chance to BOOT TWO MORE FLORIDA KANGAROO COURT JUSTICES IN NOVEMBER??????? OH IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO SEE THESE CLYMERS PAY A PRICE FOR TRYING TO STEAL THE ELECTION FOR AL 'THE LIAR' GORE!!!
Yeah, whatever, Major Idiot, Harding, whatever your name is. Glad to see you're retiring. Maybe you can convince some of your Clymer pals on the Court to go with you. Florida deserves judges who respect the Constitution on their courts, and you and your Kangaroo Court pals clearly don't qualify.
Maybe you can send him a "thank you" note for getting out of the business of abrogating justice.
LEANDER J. SHAW, JR. Appointed1983- Mandatory retirement 2003 MAJOR B. HARDING Appointed 1991- Merit retention vote 2004
CHARLES T. WELLS Appointed1994- Merit retention vote 2002
HARRY LEE ANSTEAD Appointed1994- Merit retention vote 2002
BARBARA J. PARIENTE Appointed 1997- Merit retention vote 2006
R. FRED LEWIS Appointed 1999- Merit retention vote 2006
PEGGY A. QUINCE Appointed 1999- Merit retention vote 2006
Sorry, I don't recall. But, since they were making unanimous decisions during the ballot fiasco, I am an equal opportunity voter. Just say NO!
BTW, it's not really an election. It's a re-affirmation. The Gov appoints to the Court. At the end of each term, the judge appears on the ballot with the question, "Should this mealy-mouthed, liberal SOB be retained on the court?" OK. That may be a paraphrase of the wording. But, the point is that a no vote removes the judge.
If Repubs and conservatives in the State were smart, they would vote no on every judge on the ballot and let JEB replace the whole lot of them in courts throughout the State. But, who says they are smart?
It's not true that all of the SCOFLAWs' votes in the post-election were unanimous. Wells dissented from -- and issued a scathing dissent from -- their last and worst opinion.
I don't think Wells is bad enough to remove. In any case, Anstead is far worse, and any effort expended should be expended in the cause of removing him. He's about as extreme as Pariente (not up for a vote this year,) and he's the one who put together a majority for that last decision, by winning Quince over by agreeing to make a recount statewide. He's the prime mover for the left on that court.
Minority Opinion (for Bush)
LEANDER J. SHAW, JR. Appointed1983- Mandatory retirement 2003
MAJOR B. HARDING Appointed 1991- Merit retention vote 2004
CHARLES T. WELLS Appointed 1994- Merit retention vote 2002
Majority (for Gore)
HARRY LEE ANSTEAD Appointed 1994- Merit retention vote 2002
BARBARA J. PARIENTE Appointed 1997- Merit retention vote 2006
R. FRED LEWIS Appointed 1999- Merit retention vote 2006
PEGGY A. QUINCE Appointed 1999- Merit retention vote 2006
Wow, this guy thinks the public is to stupid that it can not read and understand the basic laws of our country. It always amazes me how democrats view normal people of this country. Maybe this is the reason for the terrible public school systems, if the public is to stupid to even read we will not be able to figure out what they are doing to us.
Florida voters, take out Anstead.
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