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Bar association honors Greer

The St. Petersburg Bar Association also lauds former Times chairman and chief executive officer Andrew Barnes' work.

By STEPHEN NOHLGREN
Published May 14, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - In the last year, he has been maligned as a murderer, had his face plastered on posters wearing a Hitler mustache and still gets threats upon his life.

But among his colleagues, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer has become an icon. About 200 judges and lawyers gave him rousing applause and whistles of respect Friday, after he won the St. Petersburg Bar Association's judicial appreciation award for an unprecedented second year in a row.

Greer, 63, who oversaw the end-of-life drama of Terri Schiavo, made the legal community "proud to be lawyers," said attorney John Biesinger III, who presented the award. His "grace and professionalism was inspiring."

Also Friday, the Bar association presented their Liberty Bell award for community service to Andrew Barnes, who retired last year as chairman and chief executive officer of the St. Petersburg Times.

Over past years, the Bar's judicial award has been sprinkled around the judiciary, with nominating and selection committees often splitting votes nearly equally among candidates, Biesinger said. This year's vote, "wasn't even close."

A few other judges have been two-time winners, but never two years in a row.

It was Greer's ruling five years ago that eventually led to the removal of a feeding tube for Schiavo and her subsequent death in March at age 41. Greer found there was clear and convincing evidence that the brain-injured woman was in a persistent vegetative state and would not have wanted to be kept alive artificially.

Opposing him at various times were Schiavo's family of birth, right-to-life groups, the Florida Legislature, the U.S. Congress and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose push to keep her alive nearly resulted in a last-minute constitutional showdown between the judiciary and executive branches of government.

The Schiavo case and the national outcry it engendered "has been an incredible journey," Greer said. "The one constant has been the support, spoken and unspoken, of my associates. I appreciate this award more than you will ever know."

Barnes, 65, came to the Times as metro editor in 1973 after graduating from Harvard College and working as a reporter and editor at the Providence Journal and Washington Post. During his 21-year tenure, the Times won five Pulitzer Prizes, grew into Florida's largest daily paper and maintained its independent status by fighting off a corporate takeover battle from Texas investors.

It also supported numerous civic causes and awarded hundreds of scholarships to budding journalists.

Barnes "exemplifies the highest respect for individuals, integrity, ethics and compassion toward mankind in all walks of life," said Circuit Judge Thomas McGrady, presenting the award at a luncheon at the Mirror Lake Lyceum.

In a typically diffident manner, Barnes quickly thanked the Bar and said the award was really a recognition for the newspaper and its support of the law.

Last week, he received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Indiana University, which has strong ties to the Times dating to long-time family owners, the Poynters. Barnes still serves as chairman of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, the non-profit journalism school that holds Times stock.

He recently stepped down as chairman of the board that awards Pulitzer Prizes and said he looks forward to more free time to write.

[Last modified May 14, 2005, 01:17:08]