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Letter to the editor

Circuit judge known for wit

He retired from the bench in 1995 to travel the country.

By JACOB H. FRIES
Published July 19, 2007

John S. "Jack" Andrews, a longtime circuit judge who presided over the first trial in Pinellas history with TV cameras in the courtroom, died at his home Tuesday July 17, 2007 from cancer. He was 74.

Mr. Andrews, who took the bench in 1973 and retired in 1995, was widely known for his folksy manner, sharp wit and decisiveness behind the bench.

"Jack was a very studious and precise judge," Circuit Judge David Seth Walker said. "When he would issue a ruling, people thought he was just talking slowly, but he was considering every word to make sure it was the exact right word."

Mr. Andrews handled cases involving everything from the Church of Scientology to the Safety Harbor Spa, including many that touched on political and social issues.

In 1977, he presided over the case of the State of Florida vs. Amos Lee King Jr., the first in county history to be televised. King, convicted of murdering an elderly Tarpon Springs woman, was put to death in 2003.

Mr. Andrews once presided over a court hearing regarding bonds that Clearwater wanted to issue to build a controversial office complex. City officials had canceled a referendum on the project, prompting Andrews to wisecrack to the city's attorneys, "The voters are always getting in the way of efficient city government."

Born in Dunedin, Mr. Andrews graduated from Clearwater High School in 1950 and went on to study at the University of Houston and Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport.

After retiring in 1995, Mr. Andrews bought an RV and traveled the country with his wife, Valerie. In recent years, his health declined and a month ago he was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer, said his son Steve Andrews.

"He lived life on his own terms," his son said, "and it's because of him that I decided to go to law school."

The younger Andrews, now a trial lawyer, recalled how his father brought him to college, with just three things to get him through his freshman year - a tumbler, a bag of ice and a quart of Scotch.

"For a guy like him, the first in his family to go to college, he did pretty well," his son said. "On the bench, he just called balls and strikes, and he used the same strike zone no matter who was batting."

He is also survived by his wife of 25 years, Valerie T. Andrews; children Lissa Adam, Kim Lynch, Scott Hartsock and Heidi Hartsock; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A visitation is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at Moss Feaster Funeral Home in Dunedin. He will be buried on Sunday at Dunedin City Cemetery.

Jacob H. Fries can be reached at jfries@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8872.

[Last modified July 18, 2007, 23:41:37]