Posted on 03/30/2005 10:09:34 AM PST by 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.
The insanity just keeps on giving as the maddened mob lashes out desperately at friend and foe alike.
Really? Read this:
And specifically read this:
Order Denying Food and Water by Natural Means
Where in Florida law does a county probate judge get the authority to order a person to be starved, even if they can eat naturally? And if there was such a law, in what way would it be Constitutional under either the Florida State Constitution or the United States Constitution?
Greer is a wonderful candidate for impeachment on this alone, notwithstanding conflict of interest, bias, appearance of corruption, actual corruption, and on and on.
The black robe gang has been on his side because they smell intrusion onto their soil. But the intrusion is about to become a full scale invasion, because people are actually reading the decisions in this case.
A better fix would be to change the State Constitution to require all non-Suspreme Judges pass a "sustainment" vote. That way the population has the ability to remove not only this Judge but any Judge.
It's simple. Put up. Or, shut up.
There are serious constitutional separation of powers and state rights' issues involved in that specific law passed by Congress, and even if Greer were found in contempt of Congress over his refusal to abide by it, he would again survive since I have no doubt that the judicial system would strike the law down as unconstitutional (it really is on a number of levels).
Elcee Hastings, federal judge now distinguished Congressman from Florida.
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'd like to know whether such an order really was ever given, and about it's legality if it was.
Also, what about the defiance of congressional subpeonas?
Impeached in 1989. Was not stripped of his right to hold a "position of trust" and so ran, and was elected, to Congress, from a district populated by people who apparently have sub-room temperature intelligence.
Of course, that would simply mean a preponderance of Democrats.
I'd love to see it happen, but....
What I've been wondering is why he wasn't recused from the case due to conflict of interest?
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How about bribes in the form of campaign contributions from, Michael Schiavo's atorney, Felos....would this qualify as an illegality... a quid pro quo.....
ping
This NEEDS to happen, but I have lost so much faith in our system, I just don't think it will.
Wow-your memory is much better than mine. I wonder why he was not stripped of his right to hold a position of trust.
Not requiring a guardian to adhere to the qualifications set forth in the statutes of the state of Florida isn't illegal?
Not recusing himself according to statute 38.10 when asked 5 different times to do so isn't illegal?
Maybe if you spend a little time reading www.theempirejournal.com investigative reports you might think differently.
What good will it do?
They impeached Alcee Hastings, and now he's a state legislator!
Is it true he's blind?
Someone claimed that on the Sean Hannity radio show last week, and that he decided Terri was in "a persistent vegetative state" based on the showing of a video in his courtroom.
Can that be true?
The cops there say they are just doing their jobs, etc. They would have made good henchmen of Hitler.
This is the video that should be shown on the news everynight - it is even more powerful than the balloon video.
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/ccb/videos/Terri_Big_Eyes.rm
You need Real Player to watch this, available free on the internet.
This is not reflex action - she heard the doctor, she opened her eyes as wide as she could to impress him.
Even Fox news has ignored this clip.
There are numerous grounds for impeachment, especially the guardianship issue.
They shouldn't just do this in a perfunctory manner, expecting to lose. They should pull out all the stops. I believe it would be popular with the voters, on balance.
They should also start impeachment proceedings against SCOFLAw, which they regrettably neglected to do after their unconstitutional findings in the Chad Wars. A few impeachments and some better judges sitting on appeals courts would have a sobering effect on lower court tyrants like Greer.
I really don't believe that killing people is a popular position to take. If they push this hard they can make an end run around the lies of the MSM and make political hay as well as do the right thing. Judge Greer's violations of the laws are clear and vicious, once they are pointed out.
Even if you agree he had a right to order the feeding tube removed, where does it say in Florida law that you can deprive patients of the right to drink a glass of water, which Terri has been deprived of?
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