Fr. Rob informs us that the fight to save Terri Schindler’s life is not over. On August 31, the Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether Terri’s Law is constitutional. Practically, it will decide whether this innocent woman will live or die.
Meanwhile. Judge George Greer, the judge who has shown himself to be a friend of Michael Schiavo and not Terri, is facing opposition in his re-election bid. (Oh, how I wish we had elections for judges in Massachusetts.) Fr. Rob has also found out that the legal firm representing the Diocese of St. Petersburg has contributed to Greer’s re-election campaign. The firm’s principal partner is also Bishop Robert Lynch’s personal attorney and friend. That’s a scandal and Bishop Lynch should either tell his friend to sever ties with Greer and repudiate its contribution or the diocese will sever ties with them. Yeah, I don’t expect it to happen either.
But, as an alternative, interested Catholics could show support for Greer’s opposition.
Well, that’s the seamy underside of judicial elections. Who knows how many cases that law firm might have before Judge Greer, completely aside from the Schiavo case? The likely reality is that any firm that does litigation in that court has to spread its contributions around to all judicial candidates.
Careful what you wish for. We elect trial judges in NY (appellate judges are appointed), and in Kings County (Brooklyn), we’ve got just about the dirtiest, sleaziest, most indicted bench in the whole state. Of course, that’s what you get with a one-party system (Democrats, natch).
OTOH, I just read over at Fr. Rob’s blog that the firm in question has contributed only to Greer’s campaign and not to his opponent’s. So who knows what the real deal is, and what kind of clout this two-bit county judge wields in local politico-legal circles. It does, however, underline that sleaziness of local judicial elections.