[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14469-14470]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

   NOMINATION OF J. RONNIE GREER, OF TENNESSEE, TO BE UNITED STATES 
          DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination, 
which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant bill clerk read the nomination of J. Ronnie 
Greer, of Tennessee, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern 
District of Tennessee.
  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, in a few moments, I believe at 2:15, the 
vote for J. Ronnie Greer's nomination as a United States District Court 
Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee will take place.
  As we come to the final few moments before that vote, I want to 
express my strong support for a very good friend over the years, Ronnie 
Greer.
  People who come from the mountains of northeast Tennessee are known 
in our State for certain qualities. They are the qualities of loyalty, 
of steadfastness, of a can-do spirit. This individual, who we will be 
voting on in a few minutes, really personifies that tradition. He is a 
highly accomplished public servant who has served as an attorney in 
Tennessee's judicial system with great distinction for more than 20 
years. His academic career speaks for itself--he graduated at the top 
of his class at the University of Tennessee Law School and was invited 
to be on Law Review. Since starting his own law office in Greeneville, 
he has represented numerous clients on a wide range of issues, and he 
has considerable experience before the Federal courts. Recognizing the 
need to help his fellow man, he has not hesitated to accept the 
appointments of indigent clients, representing them in both the 
District Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  Ronnie has also had a distinguished career in politics and public 
service outside of his law practice. He was a State Senator in 
Tennessee's General Assembly for nine years, ably serving the people of 
District One. He served on both the Judiciary Committee and as Chairman 
of the Environment, Conservation and Tourism Committee. Ronnie also 
served as a Special Assistant in then-Governor Lamar Alexander's first 
term, forming a friendship and a bond that continues to this day.
  You can't demand respect from the people of northeast Tennessee, you 
have to earn it, and Ronnie has without question. He is known for his 
sense of fair play and his compassion for others. With his easy-going, 
thoughtful manner, yet quick mind and keen legal ability, he has the 
temperament and judgement required for the Federal bench. For the last 
nineteen years, Judge Thomas Hull has served as District Judge in 
Tennessee's Eastern District, and his distinguished career will long be 
remembered. While Judge Hull leaves big shoes to fill, I am confident 
Ronnie is up to the task.
  Mr. President, Ronnie Greer's dedication to the citizens of our 
State, his love of the law, and his desire to serve his country make 
him an ideal choice to serve as a U.S. District Judge. He has my 
highest recommendation and unqualified support, and I am delighted to 
urge my colleagues to vote for his confirmation today.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, within a few minutes, we will be 
voting on the President's nomination of J. Ronnie Greer, of 
Greeneville, TN, to be a Federal District Judge for the Eastern 
District of Tennessee. I want to just say a word about that.
  The President has made a superb nomination. Ronnie Greer is a 
distinguished lawyer. He knows the people of east Tennessee. He has 
earned our respect. I am delighted the Senate has moved so 
expeditiously to consider this exceptional nominee.
  I had the privilege, as Governor, of appointing nearly 50 men and 
women as judges, and I know how important it can be. What I always 
looked for was intelligence and good character; someone who knew and 
understood the people; and someone who would be courteous to the men 
and women to come before the judge once the judge assumes the bench. In 
this case, it is a lifetime position, and it is even more important 
that the judge have those qualities.
  Ronnie Greer has all those qualities. I have known him since he was 
student body president at East Tennessee State University. He was a 
champion debater. That was some 30 years ago. I knew then he would 
amount to something special, and he already has.
  He has served his community in many ways. He has served his political 
party, the Republican party, in many important ways. He has been a 
State senator from his part of upper east Tennessee. He has been active 
on issues that have to do with solid waste and the environment. He has 
been chairman of his local committee.
  I think one of the things that most strongly recommends Ronnie Greer 
is he takes this most important position in what we call in upper east 
Tennessee having been a trial judge. He will have lots of people before 
him, litigants before him trying cases, making decisions on many 
different kinds of things. He has actually practiced law in the grand 
manner. He has been the kind of lawyer we used to see all over the 
country, where a single lawyer would try many different kinds of cases. 
They would have a criminal case one day, a civil case the next day, and 
a domestic relations case the next day. The lawyer had many talents and 
was broad gauged. Today, so much of our legal profession is in very 
large law firms, where we have very specialized lawyers. They do not 
see big slices of life. As a result, many of them are not very well 
prepared for a Federal judgeship, particularly a district judgeship 
where many slices of life come before that judge.
  Ronnie Greer is well prepared. He has tried hundreds of cases in his 
career. He has represented the people of his area. The fact the 
President nominated him and that this Senate has moved so quickly to 
confirm him suggests his reputation goes well before him.
  Mr. Greer was born and raised in Mountain City, TN. He received his 
Bachelor of Science degree from the East Tennessee State University in 
1974. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University Of Tennessee 
College Of Law in 1980.
  Mr. Greer served in the Tennessee General Assembly as a Senator for 8 
years and served on the judiciary committee for 5 years. During his 
term of service, the committee considered legislation relative to the 
judiciary, State criminal code and criminal sentencing. This committee 
approved bills: that rewrote the Tennessee Criminal Code; that dealt 
with the appointment and retention of State appellate court judges; and 
that revised the Tennessee Rules of Evidence; the Tennessee Rules of 
Civil Procedure; and the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure.
  While in the Tennessee General Assembly, Mr. Greer also served as 
Chairman of the Senate Environment, Conservation and Tourism Committee 
for 7 years. This committee considered bills related to environmental 
issues, wildlife, State parks and tourism. He also authored and was 
chief sponsor of the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Act and sponsored 
and cosponsored numerous pieces of significant environmental 
legislation.
  Mr. Greer has vast litigation experience in civil and criminal law. 
He served as County Attorney for Greene County, TN. In his capacity of 
County Attorney and in private practice, Mr.

[[Page 14470]]

Greer tried approximately 200 lawsuits in State or Federal courts as 
sole or chief counsel. As a practicing attorney, he practiced general 
civil litigation primarily in the areas of personal injury, 
environmental law and bankruptcy. Mr. Greer has represented many 
defendants in criminal cases in both State and Federal courts. Mr. 
Greer has represented numerous cases for indigent clients on a pro bono 
basis and routinely accepted two to three criminal cases appointed by 
federal courts per year.
  Mr. Greer has received honors and awards for his outstanding service 
to the community. To name a few, he was the 1989 recipient of the 
Tennessee Conservation League's Legislator of the Year Award and, in 
1993, he received the Environmental Action Fund's Legislator of the 
Year Award.
  Madam President, I join Senator Frist in saying how proud we both are 
of his nomination. I look forward to casting my vote for him in a few 
minutes and urge all my colleagues to support this nomination.
  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I rise in support of the nomination of 
James Ronnie Greer to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District 
of Tennessee. Mr. Greer has extensive experience in both the private 
and public sectors of the legal community.
  Upon graduating from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Mr. 
Greer became the special assistant to then-Gov. Lamar Alexander.
  For the past 20 years, Mr. Greer has maintained a successful general 
legal practice. During this time, his practice has consisted of 
considerable litigation involving both jury and bench trials in the 
areas of State and Federal criminal defense, personal injury, and 
workers compensation. He has also practiced in the areas of domestic 
relations and has represented a number of clients on environmental 
issues. From 1985 to 1986, Mr. Greer was county attorney for Green 
County, TN.
  From 1986 to 1994, Mr. Greer served as a State senator in the 
Tennessee General Assembly, during which time he was a member of the 
Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the Environment, Conservation and 
Tourism Committee. During his tenure, he helped pass bills which 
rewrote the Tennessee Criminal Code, revised the Rules of Evidence, 
Civil Procedure, and Criminal Procedure. Mr. Greer was also the author 
and chief sponsor of the Tennessee Solid Waste Management Act.
  I am confident that he will serve on the bench with integrity and 
fairness, and I urge my colleagues to confirm him today.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, today, we vote to confirm J. Ronnie Greer 
to the United States District Court. With this confirmation we will 
have filled the sole vacancy on this court, one that arose in October 
2002. Judge Greer will join Judge J. Daniel Breen and Judge Thomas 
Varlan, who we confirmed to lifetime appointments to the Western 
District of Tennessee and Eastern District of Tennessee, respectively, 
earlier in March of this year. These three confirmations build on the 
progress we were able to make while I chaired the Judiciary Committee 
during the 107th Congress. During those months we proceeded 
expeditiously to consider and confirm Judge Thomas Phillips to the 
Eastern District of Tennessee and Samuel Hardy Mays, Jr. to the Western 
District of Tennessee. In addition, during my tenure as chairman we 
broke the logjam on appointments to the United States Court of Appeals 
to the Sixth Circuit by confirming Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of 
Tennessee to that circuit court. She was the first Sixth Circuit 
confirmation in almost 5 years during which the Republican Senate 
majority had refused to proceed on three of President Clinton's Sixth 
Circuit nominees and vacancies grew to half the circuit court.
  The Tennessee total during the last few years now stands at six and 
its Federal bench is completely filled. Working with Senator Frist, 
Senator Alexander, and before them my good friend Senator Thompson, we 
have been able to make tremendous progress during the last 2 years.
  Mr. FRIST. Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the 
nomination.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The question is, Shall the Senate advise and consent to the 
nomination of J. Ronnie Greer, of Tennessee, to be United States 
District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee?
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk called the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. 
Fitzgerald) is necessarily absent.
  Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. 
Hollings) and the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) are 
necessarily absent.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry) would vote ``yea.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 97, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 216 Ex.]

                                YEAS--97

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Allard
     Allen
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Cantwell
     Carper
     Chafee
     Chambliss
     Clinton
     Cochran
     Coleman
     Collins
     Conrad
     Cornyn
     Corzine
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     Dayton
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Dole
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Frist
     Graham (FL)
     Graham (SC)
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Lugar
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Miller
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (FL)
     Nelson (NE)
     Nickles
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Stevens
     Sununu
     Talent
     Thomas
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--3

     Fitzgerald
     Hollings
     Kerry
  The nomination was confirmed.

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