Gary Michael Farmer

Retired Appellate Judge Gary M. Farmer, Sr., served from April 1991 until December 2010 as a Judge for the Fourth District Court of Appeal, before his appointed by Governor Chiles to the Fourth District Court of Appeal and was retained by a vote of the electorate in 1992, 1998 and 2004. Judge Farmer served as President of the Florida Conference of District Court of Appeal Judges from 2003-2004 and was elected by his colleagues as Chief Judge of the Fourth District Court of Appeal from 2003-2005. Judge Farmer is widely regarded as one of the preeminent writers in the history of Florida jurisprudence, known for his succinct brevity and for working show tune lyrics and movie lines seamlessly into his authoritative opinions. Here are a couple of opinions from Gary Farmer, Sr.:

 

• Alvarez v. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., 2010 WL 4861514, 35 Fla. L. Weekly D2630 (Fla. 4th DCA Dec. 15, 2010) (scope of discovery allows fishing for information relevant to subject matter of dispute; unreasonable limit on discovery by plaintiff prejudicial error requiring new trial).
• Gouveia v. Phillips, 823 So.2d 215 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002) (explaining origins of medical malpractice theory of liability). 

 

Gary Farmer, Sr. has spent his career educating the judiciary and citizens alike and has helped ensure that the courts remained open to all for fair redress of disputes. He has also presented many times on continuing judicial and legal education subjects, including constitutional history, trial and appellate practice, scientific evidence, review of discretion, products liability and legal writing. Mr. Farmer has published various opinions in Southern Reporter, Second Series, Volumes 591 to current publication; Note, Conscientious Objection: In-Service Discharges and Procedural Due Process, 4 U. Tol. L. Rev. 58 (1972).

 

Mr. Farmer began his legal career in 1973 as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge, Nicholas J. Walinski, Jr. In 1975, he became a partner in the law firm Abrams, Anton, Robbins, Resnick & Schneider P.A. He moved to the firm Goldberg, Young & Borkson, P.A. in 1982, and in 1984 he opened Gary M. Farmer, P.A., where he practiced until his appointment to the bench.

 

Following his retirement from the bench, Mr. Farmer took a position Of Counsel to the Farmer Jaffe Weissing law firm in Fort Lauderrdale, Florida (see, ). Mr. Farmer is available for consultation and to provide litigation support and appellate representation in both civil and criminal cases.

 

He is also profiled in The Best Lawyers in America.

 

Memberships

Mr. Farmer is currently a member of or has served the following organizations: Florida Courts Technology Commission (2005 – Present), Chair of the Appellate Court Technology Committee (2005 – Present); Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions – Civil (1998-present); and the following Florida Bar Committees: Appellate Rules Committee (1988-1991), the Civil Rules Committee, (1991-1996) and the Grievance Committee Seventeenth Judicial Circuit (1986-1989). He is an Eagle Member of the Florida Justice Association, and a member off the Broward County Justice Association.

 

Mr. Farmer is a member of The Florida Bar, the Ohio Bar Association (now inactive), the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.