George Greer

George W. Greer (born 1942) is a judge serving in the Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit Court, probate division, in Clearwater, Florida, who received national attention when he presided over the Terri Schiavo euthanasia case.

Background and personal information
Born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, Judge Greer grew up in Dunedin, Florida. He received his associate's 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. He became a commissioner of Pinellas County in 1984. He was first elected to his present position of probate judge in 1992 on a nonpartisan ballot and plans to retire in 2010 after his current term expires.

Greer is a Southern Baptist and a Republican.

He is legally blind and cannot drive cars. His colleagues say his condition gives him a unique perspective on the rights of the impaired. (Blindness does not disqualify one from acting as a jurist. )

During Greer's studies at Florida State, he was for a time a roommate of Jim Morrison, who later became lead vocalist of The Doors.

Terri Schiavo Case
He received substantial attention in the American national media and around the world for his involvement in the Terri Schiavo case, as well as criticism from many different groups for his ruling that her feeding tube should be removed, according to what her husband insisted would be her wishes.

Because Greer's controversial decisions in the Schaivo 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.

Greer was also allegedly the subject of death threats during his involvement in the Schiavo case, as well as calls for his impeachment. Diane Coleman, president of Not Dead Yet, which is a disability rights group in Forest Park, Illinois, said the following, "We think the judge tipped the scales by disregarding witnesses against Michael Schiavo". According to the New York Times, Michael Schiavo's lawyer, George Felos, sent Judge Greer a campaign contribution of $250 in 2004.