Judge in Schiavo Case Faces Challenge - Clearwater lawyer Jan Govan said the Terri Schiavo case, on which incumbent George Greer has ruled, prompted him to run for circuit judge.
 
(Note: This "news"paper just cannot bring itself to report that people of all colors and creeds are fighting for Terri because they know that she is 'the foot in the door' of euthanasia for 'less than normal' people. "Anger by religious conservatives over Greer's rulings in the Schiavo case..." is patently false. This is a life-or-death issue that is being 'handled' by a pro-euthanasia judge with more than one conflict of interest, who should have recused himself long ago.)
 
May 8, 2004
 
By William R. Levesque, Times staff writer
 
Saint Petersburg Times
 
Saint Petersburg, Florida
 
 
To submit a Letter to the Editor:
 
St. Petersburg, Florida - The Pinellas-Pasco circuit judge who ruled that brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's feeding tube could be removed has drawn an opponent in his re-election bid.

Clearwater lawyer Jan Govan said he decided to run against incumbent George Greer just hours before Friday's noon qualifying deadline after no other candidate stepped forward.

This is the first time in Greer's nearly 12-year career on the bench that he has drawn an opponent. The last time Greer faced an election opponent was 1984, when he was a county commissioner.

Govan, 48, a general practitioner who has never held political office, is careful to avoid saying he disagrees with Greer's decisions in the Schiavo case. But he makes it clear Schiavo is the catalyst for his decision to run.

"The failure of his ability to reason through the consequences of judicial action make his retention in office as a judge in the circuit court dangerously harmful to people who are brought before him," Govan said.

Govan declined to be more specific.

Greer, 62, has already amassed a $70,000 campaign war chest from some of Pinellas County's leading lawyers.

"We're surprised" someone is running, Greer said. "But we're not unprepared."

Asked if he thought he was vulnerable because of the Schiavo case, Greer said, "The only time you're vulnerable is when you're on the ballot."

Govan said he has no ties with anyone connected to the Schiavo case.

Anger by religious conservatives over Greer's rulings in the Schiavo case may not be enough by itself to propel Govan to a win.

A December St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald poll showed that 65 percent of voters oppose Florida lawmakers' move to pass a law allowing Governor Jeb Bush to order Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted.

The only other contested circuit race in Pinellas-Pasco is the race for Judge Thomas Penick's seat. Penick is retiring.

Five people have qualified to run for the seat: Clearwater lawyer Michael C. Berry Sr.; St. Petersburg lawyer Jack Day; Assistant Public Defender Cynthia Newton; Clearwater lawyer Walter "Skip" Schafer Jr.; and Tarpon Springs lawyer Bill Vinson.

Circuit judges who are automatically re-elected because no one filed to run against them are Peter Ramsberger, Tom McGrady, Irene Sullivan, Ray Ulmer Jr., Michael Andrews, John Lenderman and Robert Morris, Jr.

Two races are contested on the Pinellas County court bench.

Judge Sonny Im, appointed to the judgeship in 2002 by Bush and the first Asian-American to serve on the Pinellas-Pasco bench, will face Assistant Public Defender John Carballo.

And Judge Amy Williams faces St. Petersburg lawyers Kathleen Hessinger and Robert "Bo" Michael.

Other Pinellas County judges who win re-election without an opponent are William Blackwood, Patrick Caddell, Paul Levine, Thomas Freeman, Dorothy Vaccaro and Shawn Crane.

Judges are elected during the August 31 primary.

Any runoff, if necessary, would take place in the November 2 general election.

- Times staff writer Lucy Morgan contributed to this report.

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