Stephen H. Grimes
Encyclopedia
Stephen H. "Steve" Grimes (born November 17, 1927) is an American lawyer
and jurist
. He served as a justice of the Florida Supreme Court
from 1987 to 1996.
, the son of Henry H. and June K. Grimes. He received his Bachelor of Science
/Bachelor of Arts
degree
from the University of Florida
in 1950 and his LL.B.
from the University of Florida Law School in 1954 with honors. At UF Grimes was president of Alpha Tau Omega
. He was a member of Florida Blue Key
, Phi Delta Phi
legal honor society
and the Order of the Coif
and served as editor-in-chief of the Florida Law Review
.
from 1951-1953 before moving to Bartow, Florida
and joining the law firm
of Holland & Knight
. He became the head of the firm's litigation department. Grimes served as president of the Tenth Judicial Circuit Bar Association in 1966 and became a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
in 1971.
Grimes was appointed to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal
in October 1973, serving as chief judge from 1978-1980. Grimes was the chair of the Florida Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges from 1978–80 and was also a member of the Florida Supreme Court Appellate Structure Commission, the Florida Supreme Court
Article V Review Commission, the Florida Council on Criminal Justice, and the Florida Bar Tort Litigation Review Commission. In addition Grimes has served as vice-chair of the Florida Appellate Rules Committee, and the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, serving as chair for two years. Grimes was also a member of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission from 1983–86 and was its vice-chair for two years. He chaired the Judicial Council of Florida from 1989-1994.
Florida Governor Bob Martinez
appointed Grimes to the Florida Supreme Court on January 30, 1987. He became Chair of the Article V Task Force in 1994, and served as a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College. Grimes was selected by the court as Chief Justice on April 21, 1994, serving until May 31, 1996, when he left the court due to mandatory retirement provisions in the Florida Constitution
After leaving the court he returned to Holland & Knight.
in 1964. He has also served on the boards
of the Polk Public Museum, the Bartow Memorial Hospital, the Bartow Public Library
, and the Polk County Law Library
. Grimes has also been the president of the Bartow Rotary Club, and he was the district governor of Rotary International
from 1960–1961; he is a member of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee. Grimes served on the board of trustees
for Polk Community College
for three years and was chair in 1970.
Grimes was an active member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Bartow for over 30 years, and was vice counsel of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
from 1971-1973.
Grimes married Fay Fulghum of Lakeland
in 1951; they have four daughters (Gay, Mary June, Sue, and Sheri) and nine grandchildren.
Grimes has taught as an adjunct instructor of criminal justice
at Florida Southern College
. In 1980 he received an honorary
Doctor of Laws from Stetson University
.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
. He served as a justice of the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
from 1987 to 1996.
Early life and education
Grimes was born in Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, the son of Henry H. and June K. Grimes. He received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
/Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
from the 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 1950 and his LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Florida Law School in 1954 with honors. At UF Grimes was president of Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
. He was a member of Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key
Florida Blue Key is a student honor and service society at the University of Florida. It is often written and referred to by the initialism "FBK."This organization was started at the University of Florida in 1923 under the presidency of Albert Murphree...
, Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi
Phi Delta Phi, ΦΔΦ, is the world's second largest legal fraternity. Phi Delta Phi is the second oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States and third oldest in North America...
legal honor society
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
and the Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
and served as editor-in-chief of the Florida Law Review
Florida Law Review
The Florida Law Review is the law review of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law. The review was founded as the University of Florida Law Review in 1948. In 1989 its name was changed to the Florida Law Review. About 90 student members and two staff assistants produce the review...
.
Career
Grimes served in the U.S. NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1951-1953 before moving to Bartow, Florida
Bartow, Florida
Bartow is the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow the first brigade commander to die in combat during the American Civil War. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census, the city had a...
and joining the law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
of Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight
Holland & Knight is an international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 17 U.S. offices. Other offices around the world are located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Beijing, China, and Mexico City, Mexico. Holland & Knight provides representation in litigation, business, real estate and governmental law.-...
. He became the head of the firm's litigation department. Grimes served as president of the Tenth Judicial Circuit Bar Association in 1966 and became a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers
American College of Trial Lawyers
The American College of Trial Lawyers is a professional association of trial lawyers from the United States and Canada. Founded in 1950, the College is dedicated to maintaining and improving the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession...
in 1971.
Grimes was appointed to the Florida Second District Court of Appeal
Florida Second District Court of Appeal
The Florida Second District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Lakeland, Florida and has a branch in Tampa.-History:The initial territorial jurisdiction of the Second District, with its headquarters in Lakeland, encompassed twenty-eight counties, ranging from Lake County in the north, to Collier...
in October 1973, serving as chief judge from 1978-1980. Grimes was the chair of the Florida Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges from 1978–80 and was also a member of the Florida Supreme Court Appellate Structure Commission, the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
Article V Review Commission, the Florida Council on Criminal Justice, and the Florida Bar Tort Litigation Review Commission. In addition Grimes has served as vice-chair of the Florida Appellate Rules Committee, and the Florida Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Criminal Cases, serving as chair for two years. Grimes was also a member of the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission from 1983–86 and was its vice-chair for two years. He chaired the Judicial Council of Florida from 1989-1994.
Florida Governor Bob Martinez
Bob Martinez
Robert Martinez was the 40th Governor of Florida from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was the mayor of Tampa from 1979 to 1986.- Education and early career :...
appointed Grimes to the Florida Supreme Court on January 30, 1987. He became Chair of the Article V Task Force in 1994, and served as a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College. Grimes was selected by the court as Chief Justice on April 21, 1994, serving until May 31, 1996, when he left the court due to mandatory retirement provisions in the Florida Constitution
Florida Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Florida is the document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of Florida, and establishes the basic law of the state....
After leaving the court he returned to Holland & Knight.
Outside the law
Grimes served as president of the Greater Bartow Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
in 1964. He has also served on the boards
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the Polk Public Museum, the Bartow Memorial Hospital, the Bartow Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, and the Polk County Law Library
Law library
A law library is a library designed to assist law students, attorneys, judges, and their law clerks and anyone else who finds it necessary to correctly determine the state of the law....
. Grimes has also been the president of the Bartow Rotary Club, and he was the district governor of Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
from 1960–1961; he is a member of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee. Grimes served on the board of trustees
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
for Polk Community College
Polk Community College
Polk State College, formerly known as Polk Community College, is a public state college located in Winter Haven, Florida, USA. Polk State College is a member institution of the Florida College System....
for three years and was chair in 1970.
Grimes was an active member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Bartow for over 30 years, and was vice counsel of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida is a diocese in Florida in Province IV of the Episcopal Church. It is bounded on the north by the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the dioceses of Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida and on the west by the...
from 1971-1973.
Grimes married Fay Fulghum of Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
in 1951; they have four daughters (Gay, Mary June, Sue, and Sheri) and nine grandchildren.
Grimes has taught as an adjunct instructor of criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
at Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
. In 1980 he received an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Laws from Stetson University
Stetson University
Stetson University is a private university with four colleges and schools located across the I-4 corridor in Central Florida. The primary undergraduate campus is located in DeLand, Florida, USA. In the 2012 U.S...
.
External links
- Official biography from the Florida Supreme Court
- Official biography from Holland & Knight