Posted on 05/15/2004 4:47:16 AM PDT by amdgmary
Floridians: Show Judge Greer the door!
May 15, 2004 By David N. Bass © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
According to LifeNews.com, Florida residents will soon be given an opportunity each of us would love to have the chance to kick an activist judge in the rear end figuratively, anyway.
Florida Circuit Court Judge George Greer is being challenged for the first time in 12 years in the 2004 election. Anyone who has followed the situation surrounding Terri Schiavo in Florida is intimately familiar with Judge Greer. He placed himself smack dab in the midst of the Terri Schiavo controversy last year when he decreed that Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, had the right to remove her feeding tube, which would effectively allow her to slowly starve to death.
What crime did Terri commit to warrant such punishment, punishment that liberal organizations would have hemorrhoids over if applied to a convicted serial killer? She is brain-disabled and requires a feeding tube for sustenance. In other words, she is living the cardinal sin of our age she is inconvenient. Aside from her brain, all of Terri's bodily functions are physically stable. She receives no life support or respiration, responds to communication and recognizes her family.
A horrible crime, isn't it? Apparently, some members of Florida's enlightened judiciary think so. In one of his rulings last year, Judge Greer set Oct. 15, 2003, as the date to begin Terri's starvation death. Needless to say, there was a nationwide hullabaloo over Greer's ludicrous decree. Pressure was brought against Gov. Jeb Bush and the Florida Legislature to act in defense of Terri Schiavo's life. If the governor and Legislature had not intervened and prevented Judge Greer's ruling from taking effect, Terri would probably not be alive today.
Thankfully, with the 2004 election on the horizon, Florida residents have the opportunity to kick Judge Greer off the bench and make the judiciary a safer place.
Greer is being challenged by Jan Govan, an attorney hailing from Clearwater, Fla. According to LifeNews.com, Govan is specifically running against Greer because of his activist rulings in the Terri Schiavo case. Govan believes Judge Greer's decision-making process is faulty, specifically because the governor and Legislature had to intervene to clean up the mess he created through his rulings.
This news could not come at a better time, especially since the battle to protect Terri's life is heating up again. On April 23, the Second District Court of Appeals in Florida upheld Judge Douglas Baird's decision to keep Michael Schiavo's lawsuit, which challenges the law preserving Terri's life, in his court. This means Judge Baird has the freedom to declare the law unconstitutional, a decision he has already made clear he intends to make. Not surprisingly, Michael Schiavo's New Age wacko lawyer, George Felos, has requested that Judge Baird issue a summary judgment destroying the law. If events continue in this direction, Terri's life may soon be lost.
Each of us is familiar with how judges seldom listen to the voice of the people, but Floridians will have the opportunity to make their voices heard this election cycle. They will have the opportunity to elect someone who will actually adhere to the dictates of the Constitution, rather than someone who legislates from the bench his view of what society should be.
Despite the level of national support Govan is likely to receive, he is currently facing an uphill battle. Judge Greer has already collected around $55,000 from area lawyers and supporters, according to LifeNews.com. As a member of the judiciary who has sat on the bench for 12 years, Greer likely has a sizeable group of followers who are willing to dump their cash into his re-election campaign.
The fight will not be an easy or simple one for Govan, but I believe he can attain victory in the end if people in other states voice their support for him. This election in Florida is not only about a single judgeship it is about making a statement to other judges around the nation. This election is relatively small and seemingly insignificant, but it has the great potential to have far-reaching effects.
If nothing else, it will show the judiciary that we the people of the United States take our obligation seriously to hold judges accountable for their rulings.
David N. Bass is an 18-year-old homeschool graduate who writes for World Newspaper Publishing and is a regular columnist at AmericanDaily.com, ARationalAdvocate.com and RenewAmerica.us. He is also a contributing writer to Tolkien-Movies.com. Bass is currently working on his first novel.
Ping. This excellent article was written by an 18 year old homeschooler.
If I were a resident of Pinellas County [though I thank the Good Lord that I am not] greer would have at least one vote against him.
You know, if an 18 year old lad can have such clarity, intellect, respect for law and abhorance of unlawful activity, why can't a 50-something judge have such qualities as well?
Does he think he's above it all?
bttt
Pinging to a great article by an 18-year-old, who clearly knows a great deal more about the world than the mainstream press would like him to know!
The mainstream press is pro-death. They don't want you to know the truth. Counter them by writing a letter to the editor.
Excellent article by a very bright and articulate young man!
Thanks for the ping!
If anyone wants on THE INFORMATIONAL LIST regarding this critical judicial race in Pinellas County, FL, freepmail me.
INFORMATION & NEWS BUT NO INTEL.
Sorry if I confused anyone.
GREER'S GOTTA GO!!!
http://www.hospicepatients.org/
They have a special section regarding Hospice of the Suncoast, Florida and its director.
Greer was a Hospice Board Member before he became the judge with no prior experience in guardianships and probate. That must make DECISION MAKING EASIER when you just LOWER THE BOOM and disregard that you are toying with people's lives.
Bump! Thanks for the ping. Great article!!!!
But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." - Mother Teresa
Just a heads up: All the sitting judges in that county will now "circle the waggons" to protect the judge. They will also hit up every law firm for campaign contributions.
Judges do not want ANY lawyer challenging a judge. Even a judge they personally hate because it means they would have to face the public every six years.
Tricks to watch out for:
Judges will circulate petitions which lawyers will be "asked" to sign in support of the sitting judge. This will be published in a newspaper. (don't be surprised if the petition sheet is at the podium during callendar call/docket sounding so each lawyer appearing before the judge is "encouraged" to sign. The hundreds PD's and SA's are all a given due to the working relationship.)
The local media will do a hit piece on the challenger. reporters need to keep smooth access to the courtrooms.
The lawyer will become persona non-grata at "lawyer events".
In really dirty efforts, the lawyer will find his scheduling conflicts are more problematic.
Speaking of advocacy groups...
Have we heard any more on the Florida Advocacy Center's investigation that was supposed to have been started right after Terri's Law was passed? What ever happened with that?
Bump!
Bump!
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