George Greer

George W. Greer (born 1942) is a retired Florida circuit judge who served in the Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit Court, family law division, in Clearwater, Florida. He received national attention in 2005 when he presided over the Terri Schiavo case.

George W. Greer
Circuit Court Judge for Florida
In office 1992–2010
Pinellas County Commissioner
In office 1984–1992
Personal details
Born	1942 (age 78–79) Brooklyn, New York, NY

Early life and education

Born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, Greer grew up in Dunedin, Florida. He received his Associate degree from St. Petersburg Junior College in 1962, his Bachelor's degree from Florida State University at Tallahassee in 1964, and his Law degree from the University of Florida's College of Law in Gainesville in 1966.

Career

Greer is a Republican who was once a member of a Southern Baptist Church.[1]

Greer became a commissioner of Pinellas County as a Republican in 1984. He was first elected to the probate judgeship in 1992 on a nonpartisan ballot, and was reëlected in 1998 and again in 2004. He retired in 2010 when his term expired.[2][3]

Terri Schiavo case

Greer received substantial attention in national and international media for his involvement in the Terri Schiavo case.

Because Greer's controversial decisions in the Schiavo case conflicted with the opinions of patrons at his church, the Calvary Baptist Church of Clearwater, Greer was asked by pastor William Rice to clarify his relationship with his church. Greer then withdrew his membership from the Calvary congregation.

In 2005 Greer was threatened with impeachment for his decisions in the Terri Schiavo case. Attorney Barry Cohen represented Judge Greer, who retained his position.[4]

Hogan divorce case

Judge Greer presided over the 2008 divorce case of Hulk Hogan and his wife, Linda Bollea. On January 30, 2008, Greer denied Linda's motion to have Hulk's assets frozen.[5]

Personal life

Greer is legally blind and cannot drive cars.[6]

Awards

• The 2004 Clearwater Bar Association's highest honor, becoming the only judge to be so recognized on more than one occasion.
• The 2005 President's Award of Merit from the Florida Bar.[7]
• The 2005 Benjamin Franklin Award by the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club. This award recognizes those in appointed or elected service who have exhibited extraordinary integrity, courage and achievement.
• The 2005 Special Justice Award from the Pasco Bar.[8]
• The 2005 Jurist of the Year Award from the Florida Chapter American Board of Trial Advocates
• The 2005 Bay Area Champion of Justice Award, from the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2011-01-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) www.gofbw.com/news.asp?ID=4059
2. Petramala, Jonathan (2010-12-29) "Retiring judge leaves behind controversial legacy". Archived 2011-01-01 at the Wayback Machine BayNews9.com Retrieved 2011-7-13
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2016-10-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "D. C. Docket No. CV-05-00530" (PDF). abstractappeal.com. March 25, 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-12.
5. Gray, Ryan (01-30-2008)"Hogan Divorce Update, ECW Rating, Torrie, More" Archived 2008-02-01 at the Wayback Machine NoDQ.com Retrieved 2009-06-05
6. Goodnough, Abby (2008-3-18 "Florida judge embroiled in right-to-die dispute". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-05
7. "Those who know Judge Greer and practice in front of him believe he is the ideal jurist," said President Kelly Overstreet Johnson. "He is fair, he is impartial, and his rulings are based on law, not emotions and not politics." (comments at the Awards Ceremony)
8. "He is very meticulous in his decisions and he is a supporter of the law, doesn't let his emotions or personal feelings get in the way of his analysis of the law," said President Joan Hook (comments at the Awards Ceremony)

External links

• St. Petersburg Times article
• University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics 10th Anniversary Symposium