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.
In reading your posts, you keep on talking about posters "overthrowing the system". No one is overthrowing anything. And, you are doing the very same thing with your abortion agenda. Are you overthrowing the government that allows abortion?
Are you saying that since men have died for liberty, that the state can kill for the liberty of a husband wanting her dead?
You are in the medical profession. I wonder about your true intents concerning the lives of others. I would hope that you do not sit there and judge who lives and who dies.
Another reason the future will be that the elderly will not have doctors, will stay away from hospitals. Also the disabled. Hospitals will get the accident victims but, of course, they will immediately leave so as to avoid the decision makers condemning them to death at their hands.
Gruesome. Now just tell me how radical I am. This is the future when man starts deciding to kill patients. There will be no patients. You serve only because people come to you for help. When they instead get death, don't expect it to be kept quiet.
Fine. If you want to close your eyes to the danger, that's your choice.
Don't worry, they are showing themselves for who they are. We need to see this.
Why would any hate those that support Terri? There can be only one reason - they demand the option to kill without penalty.
And we should care what such people think about us?
Can I ask a question. Where does it say "do not put tubes in people" and how do we answer God on those we have decided are not worthy to live based on the following?
Matt. 25:41-45
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
I too. I'm always so surprised to go out with other people and it is not even mentioned, or the comment "I'm so tired of hearing about that", or "well, it is all in the way you look at it I guess".
And this is from Christians.
I've come to realize they do not understand or have failed to realize that this is the murder of a non-dying woman - not one that is in the dying process naturally.
One comment, "well, her quality of like was so horrible." And I said "But, we don't kill them because we would not want to live that way."
What would happen if a judge put a disabled woman in a pen at his home and would not give her food or water, would not allow others to feed her?
It would be a murder case.
There is no difference in Terri's case. He did not offer her food and water by mouth as they removed the tube - therefore, murder was committed.
You can't say murder is murder at home, but legal if done by the state.
The truth comes out.
You do not believe in the sanctity of life. How are you going to turn around abortion then?
You believe that only healthy people are entitled to the rights of an American citizen and that "some" are endowed with the ability and power to judge the worth and "liveness" of other - inferior - beings. And, that judgment then deems them unworthy of American citizenship.
You can couch it however you want, but I've read your posts and your views are coming through loud and clear.
And, you know what? I do not believe that you even want to fight abortion. A person with your views would be totally in agreement with a woman deciding whether her own son or daughter has the opportunity to experience life instead of eons of nothingness.
And when you believe that you are the decider of whether your son or daughter gets life, of course, you are the decider of whether people you do not love have the justification to continue living in this country.
Which means, the weak and elderly will not utilize the medical facilities but will live out their lives away from those dedicated to seeing they are not a burden.
More power to them - with the way things are going, they will be much happier.
I would have expected better from you mountaineer - that appears to be a cheap shot because some one cares.
So sorry to hear about your Mom and bless you for caring for her.
I've mentioned before some of the very sweet times my mother and I had during her years in the nursing home (she was unable to do anything at all for herself - other than get out of the place into the parking lot).
I hope you will find a good place for her. My mother was put on the altzheimer's side after her escape and she did have dementia/altzheimers and the place was a warm caring place. A good place to end her days.
I am sure you are absolutely worn out. Hopefully you too see the sweet gentle person inside. I came to really love those gentle people and so many funny things would happen.
If she does not have a baby doll, you might try giving her one. My mother's face lit up like a Christmas tree when I brought hers. She immediately grabbed it claiming how beautiful it was. All in the lunch room stopped to watch her joy. After that whenever she started crying, they would get her baby and she would settle down to care for it, even feeding it her lunch.
So very precious. She retained her sense of humor but her memory from day to day was gone. Although you have to watch for mistakes in care, we experienced loving, caring people.
God bless you and her.
Why would you care if we see the dangers of nazism?
Do you care if some dislike the Patriot Act? Do you care if some do not like guns?
Why are so many so upset because a few fR posters are upset about the "killing" and worried about the precedents of Terri Schiavo's case?
Are we to just shut up about it? Does it offend? Why would it offend?
You are right and that is why we are speaking up. If they don't see the danger - they just do not see the danger. We do, and eventually more and more will.
Terri's case revealed that many would see nothing wrong with "offing" others. We will have to fight that mindset. Never thought I would see that in my days but here it is. A pure result of abortion since abortion just opened the floodgates. Kill for one reason, easy to move to the next justification.
I appreciate the excellent job you folks did on this thread. Thank you.
Ohhh have you outed their plan! The ones they can't kill fast in the hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices by euthanasia will die faster than normal without those facilities that have the medicial technology to help them if those facilities were in fact doing what they should be doing and saving people.
The old, infirm, disabled will be too scared to seek treatment and therefore the death cultists will be happy since it means that medical costs will go down in that way..plus the additional ones of those who need medical treatment but won't seek it and will die instead.
I don't think I explained what I meant very well but hopefully you can understand what I mean.
The death cultists will win both ways. We have to stop them.
Pat Buchanan is covering for Scarborough tonight and they just showed Greer's picture. They're talking about the 13 year old who the judge granted an abortion to. But, they showed Greer's UGLY FACE... He's getting what he deserves -villification on national tv.
>People should ...let their school board trustees know how >they feel about "LIE" (Law) Day beong conducted by this >cult of death worshipers
"Law Day" hmmm May 1st right? the old Communist "holiday"
Try to get one word from any law professor about "Law
Day" even if signs are posted in the school about it.
It's not only Congress and judges that are derelict.
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