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PENSACOLA----While Pinellas County probate court judge George W. Greer continues his traveling road show in support of the euthanasia movement, Bobby Schindler, brother of the late Terri Schindler Schiavo, has called upon the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission "to review Greer's activities, both within and outside the State of Florida for the sake of other vulnerable persons that may have to appear before him".
Greer is scheduled to appear Thursday before 200 attorneys of the Escambia/Santa Rose Bar Association in Pensacola as part of the group's observance of Law Week.
On Monday, Law Day, Greer spoke on the Terri Schiavo case at a bioethics symposium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
On the symposium panel with Greer were Michael Schiavo, Dr. Ronald Cranford, Jay Wolfson, Mary Labyak and Arthur Caplan, all principals in the Terri Schiavo case.
No representatives from the Schindler family or the right to life movement were invited to speak at the UPenn symposium.
Association president William Stafford said that Greer, the national icon of judicial tyranny, is a role model in maintaining judicial independence and resisting public and political pressure.
Stafford, who seems to advocate judicial activism and non-compliance with statutory and established law says that "lawyers have an obligation to do what they think is right".
The bar association luncheon will precede the naturalization ceremony at the federal courthouse in Pensacola.
Speaking on behalf of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Healthcare Ethics, Terri's brother, Bobby Schindler, strongly opposes Greer's public appearances which support the pro-euthanasia movement.
Schindler led a group of about 40 protesters Sunday in front of the UPenn building where Greer was appearing. Michael Schiavo was reportedly in the audience for Greer's presentation which mocked and denigrated the Schindler family and pro-life efforts to save Terri's life. Schiavo had addressed the bioethicists Sunday, clumsily reading from a speech which obviously had been prepared for him and with which he did not seem familiar. http://www.bioethics.upenn.edu/symposium/?pageId=1
"Our family publicly stated for years that Judge Greer has a pro-euthanasia, pro-death bias, which tempered his decisions in my sister's case and caused him to unethically, immorally and illegally ordered her to die", Bobby said.
"For Judge Greer to speak on 'The Legacy of the Terri Schiavo Case' at a one-sided pro-death gathering without an opposing view or organized rebuttal is not only unethical for a sitting judge who still oversees precisely this type of case, it is a callous disregard for the preamble to the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct which says that our legal system is based on the principle that an independent, fair and competent judiciary will interpret and apply the laws that govern us. Judge Greer's participation in this event should cause fear and trembling for any disabled or vulnerable person whose fate is decided in his court", Schindler said.
"How can any citizens of Florida have confidence that Judge Greer will remain unbiased now that he is on the speaking circuit justifying the killing of an innocent, disabled woman without any proof of her consent? Will he continue to play God and decree that all persons like my sister die by thirst and starvation?", he asked.
"Canon 2 of the Florida Judicial Code says, 'a judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all the judge's activities. A judge shall respect and comply with the law and shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.' Judge Greer...certainly shows his bias against the disabled. He makes a mockery of the entire judicial system.
"Does George Greer know the law or is he so callous that he and his cohorts believe he is above the law?
"While canon 4 would allow Judge Greer to participate in quasi-judicial activities involving the law, the code requires that such an event should not cast reasonable doubt on the judges' capacity to remain impartial. For George Greer to speak at an event where Michael Schiavo, Jay Wolfson, Dr. Cranford, Ms. Labyak, and others are appearing leaves little, if any doubt on how biased Greer is toward the disabled and his advocacy of promoting dehydration and starvation for our less fortunate brothers and sisters".
Schindler said that the "whole world has watched the actions of George Greer, and we believe history will one day record that his court gravely violated the law in my sister's case, committing judicial homicide".
Individuals who wish to register their comments with the bar association about their choice of speaker for Law Week may call 850-434-6009 or visit the group's website at http://www.esrba.com/executives.htm for contact information regarding the group's officers and directors. 5-3-06
© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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