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.
>What kind of a country is it when those who are supposed >to be honorable and upholding justice are the lowest scum?
Well, the Jews for Morality site mentions Sodom.
I take absolutely no pleasure in citing that comparison,
being sick and heartbroken at the events of the past two
months and two years.
Can I get on the Moral Absolutes ping? I need to know
more about these pings. Any FAQ around?
>As Martin Katz (who happened to be Jewish) wrote in the >The American Thinker (not a RR right publication) >regarding the Terri Schiavo case
Good for Martin Katz. Don't know much else about him.
>We are talking a major shift in America to one where the >state can kill a non-dying person.
>I remember a time in this country when you didn't need a >piece of paper on file with your lawyer or a court to >guarantee your right to live
Hope these quotes are all yours, chimera. Things
are actually worse than that; the "right papers" may
not save one. see http://www.hospicepatients.org
>Say, I noticed that I only care about the Terri threads >anymore. I hardly ever wander over into the other posts >and threads. It's like I just can't get over this. Even in >my personal life, I am seemingly stuck here. Can't believe >they did that to her and they forced us all to watch in >helplessness. My husband says I need to move on.
I'm stuck and not ashamed of it. Where are you geographically? I have little more idea what to do
about things than you do, but this is the biggest "civil
rights" issue of our time. Don't be ashamed of being
consumed by it, even if you only seem to be in pain
about it.
Yes, I agree. However, the last laugh might be on them. Where do they get customers when only the young and healthy come to see them? I would think nursing homes would be begging for customers - why would they "off" them?
Hospice will now be seen as death dealers rather than those seeking to give peaceful endings to those in the dying process.
Anyway - agree. These people need to be stopped.
I think a good start would be to look at the end-of-life panel activities in each state. Who are they, what are they doing and what is their true purpose?
Good answer. I don't think there are any such people, and
if there are, we shouldn't heed such "wishes" The
autonomy issue is a sham, the real agenda is some form
of tyranny.
EV and I have talked, and he graciously accepted my apology, and we discussed the matter in private, and that is it, none of your bizness Laz.
As for me and CP? Nope, not even close, I read it though, its funny as hell.
Wow, your use of capital letters sure swayed me!.........
Bump.
If you go on the Hospice sites you will eventually find a link that lists some of these panels.. names to hone in on are Ken Goodman / Bishop Wenski for Clergy for End-of-Life, etc. Goodman isn't even clergy.. he is on a lot of panels than this too. He is strongly connected to the right-to-die movement etc He formed Partnership for End-of-Life which is a coalition of 23 groups.. maybe more now.. but in 2002 in their Making Choices pdf file which has an intro by Jeb in it etc.. it is listed as 23 coalitions.
I know it. I have often said on these threads to those who think having a "Living (Dying?) Will" will solve any and all problems that such is not the case. The travesty of the killing of Terri Schiavo has proved that it doesn't really matter what you say, verbally or in writing, what matters is what someone else says you said, if they can convince a sympathetic judge to rule for them, and have that upheld by a sham of a judicial system that metes out procedure more than justice.
That's a specious argument. You wouldn't save a drowning person? After all, if life and death are equally desirable, why do so?
People who would have died 100 or even 50 years ago now live, due to medical advances. Should those advances not be pursued?
Life is worth fighting for and preserving. And it's not "beating on Terri Schiavo's corpse" to discuss these issues.
And I find it amusing that the views on this matter of, let us say, Dr. Charles Krauthammer, who is also in a wheelchair, are brushed aside by various smug, self-congratulating sorts who defend judges who snub their noses at Congress.
From the use of words it might just be one person using different names.
freeper friend, if I had time to visit the html sandbox, I'd learn how to do REALLY BIG LETTERS. Would you like that better? in color? I'm a busy person. I do pictures here and posts WITH CAPS until I make it to the sandbox...
But, I'm glad you've changed your position on the issue. Stay tuned for Mark Fuhrman's INVESTIGATION.
Thomas Jefferson referred to out of control judges as "judicial despots". Florida is crawling with them. Lots of people are hesitant to file legit lawsuits here because they don't trust the judges.
I heard about this new problem from an attorney. People do not trust a judge to judge fairly. They are avoiding court even with valid claims.
Florida's Judicial System is broken and nobody here seems to care except the people are mere taxpayers. The Florida Supreme Court are liberal extremists, even Jeb's appointees.
correction: "Judges do not evaluate, they dictate."
I'll add you to the list. It's very subjective - there's so much material which could qualify as relevant. I don't cover abortion issues as there are a couple of other ping lists for that (although other pro-life issues get in there, or abortion when it has other angles as well), and I don't cover homosexuality as I do another list for that.
Also I am very busy and get overwhelmed!
But it is a fairly busy list. No FAQ that I know of...
What is equally disturbing is that there are some, including people right here on FR, who applaud this obvious breakdown in the Constitutional Republic. The Founders never intended that one branch would assume disproportionate power. If it tried, the others were to step in and re-establish some semblance of balance. That this is not happening should be of concern to everyone, especially those on FR and similar places who say they value the constitutional republican form of government.
this is the biggest "civil rights" issue of our time.
Hear, hear!
The legislative and judicial branches of govt. in Florida are co-dependent and imo, those branches are always feuding the Jeb Bush, the executive branch.
The legislature and judicial branch bear the brunt of responsibility for Terri's killing and Jeb didn't do his duty after Terri's parents were voted or ruled against. Terri never had her own legal representation which was another violation of her rights.
It was a complete failure of all checks and balances. They were non-existent. This is a good civics lesson but what teacher would accurately cover the subject?
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