Andrew Owens
Encyclopedia
Andrew Douglas "Andy" Owens, Jr. (born 1947) is an American attorney and circuit court judge in Sarasota County, Florida
. Owens is a Circuit Court Judge for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, appointed by Florida Governor Bob Graham in 1983, and served as Chief Judge in the late 1990s. Owens is a former University of Florida basketball star.
,lived for a short time in Dalton, Ga but moved as a child to Tampa, Florida
with his family, where his father became the owner of an auto parts store. His mother, who had played basketball at Agnes Scott College
in Decatur, Georgia
, taught him how to play the sport. Owens attended Hillsborough High School
in Tampa, where he became a standout basketball player for the Hillsborough Terriers high school basketball team.
offers to attend the University of Kentucky
and the University of North Carolina
, but he accepted a scholarship to attend his home-state University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
. As a Florida undergraduate, he played for coach Tommy Bartlett's Florida Gators men's basketball
team for three seasons from 1968 to 1970, and was team captain
for the 1969–1970 season. In 1969, he played with Neal Walk
and helped lead the Gators to their first postseason tournament, and in 1970 he averaged twenty-seven points a game for the season—still the current record for the Gators men's basketball team. Although Owens was selected in the seventh round of the 1970 NBA Draft
, he decided to attend law school instead.
Owens graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in finance
in 1970 and a law degree
in 1973, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978. Owens is an avid sports fan, and frequently attends Gators football and basketball games.
Sarasota County, Florida
Sarasota County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimate for the county was 372,057. Its county seat is Sarasota, Florida....
. Owens is a Circuit Court Judge for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, appointed by Florida Governor Bob Graham in 1983, and served as Chief Judge in the late 1990s. Owens is a former University of Florida basketball star.
Early life
Owens was born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
,lived for a short time in Dalton, Ga but moved as a child to Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
with his family, where his father became the owner of an auto parts store. His mother, who had played basketball at Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
in Decatur, Georgia
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, taught him how to play the sport. Owens attended Hillsborough High School
Hillsborough High School
Hillsborough High School is located at 5000 N. Central Ave, in the heart of the historic Seminole Heights suburb, in Tampa, Florida. Hillsborough High is the oldest high school in Hillsborough County, Florida...
in Tampa, where he became a standout basketball player for the Hillsborough Terriers high school basketball team.
College career
Owens received athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
offers to attend the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, but he accepted a scholarship to attend his home-state University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. As a Florida undergraduate, he played for coach Tommy Bartlett's Florida Gators men's basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
team for three seasons from 1968 to 1970, and was team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the 1969–1970 season. In 1969, he played with Neal Walk
Neal Walk
Neal Eugene Walk is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a center in the National Basketball Association for seven seasons during the late 1960s and 1970s. Walk played college basketball for the University of Florida, and still remains the Florida Gators' all-time...
and helped lead the Gators to their first postseason tournament, and in 1970 he averaged twenty-seven points a game for the season—still the current record for the Gators men's basketball team. Although Owens was selected in the seventh round of the 1970 NBA Draft
1970 NBA Draft
The 1970 NBA Draft was the 24th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 23, 1970 before the 1970–71 season. In this draft, 17 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
, he decided to attend law school instead.
Owens graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
in 1970 and a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
in 1973, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978. Owens is an avid sports fan, and frequently attends Gators football and basketball games.
Law career
As a circuit court judge, Owens oversaw the Carly Bruscia murder case and was one of the driving forces behind the creation of a Mental Health Court in Sarasota, as well as a Court Intervention Program, also known as "Drug Court," a year-long out-patient program for felony drug offenders.See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- List of Levin College of Law graduates
- List of University of Florida alumni