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|resting_place=Colquitt City Cemetery
|resting_place=Colquitt City Cemetery
|alma_mater=[[Oglethorpe University]]<br>
|alma_mater=[[Oglethorpe University]]<br>
[[Mercer University]] [[Walter F. George School of Law]]
[[Walter F. George School of Law]]<br> at [[Mercer University]]
|profession= [[Lawyer]]
|profession= [[Lawyer]]
|religion=
|religion=
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}}
}}


'''Peter Zack Geer''' (August 24, 1928 – January 5, 1997) was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[politician]] from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].
'''Peter Zack Geer''' (August 24, 1928 – January 5, 1997) was a [[lawyer]] and a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[politician]] from the [[United States|U.S. state]] of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].


Geer was born in [[Colquitt, Georgia|Colquitt]], [[Miller County, Georgia|Miller County]], Georgia. He graduated in 1951 from the [[Walter F. George School of Law]] at [[Mercer University]] in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]] and became a prominent attorney.<ref name="mercer.edu">http://www.mercer.edu/advancement/publications/LawLetter/win97_7.htm</ref> Geer served as the [[Lieutenant Governor of Georgia|fifth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia]] from 1963 to 1967 under fellow Democrat, [[governor of Georgia|Governor]] [[Carl Sanders]].
Geer was born in [[Colquitt, Georgia|Colquitt]] in [[Miller County, Georgia|Miller County]] in southwestern Georgia. In 1951, he graduated in 1951 from the [[Walter F. George School of Law]] at [[Mercer University]] in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]] and became a prominent attorney.<ref name="mercer.edu">http://www.mercer.edu/advancement/publications/LawLetter/win97_7.htm</ref> After service as a member of the [[Georgia House of Representatives]], Geer was the [[Lieutenant Governor of Georgia|fifth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia]] from 1963 to 1967 under his fellow Democrat, [[governor of Georgia|Governor]] [[Carl Sanders]]. To win the lieutenant governorship, Geer defeated in the 1962 [[primary election|primary]] [[runoff election|runoff]] his fellow [[segregation]]ist and later Governor [[Lester Maddox]], a restauranteur from [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], by a margin of 55 to 45 percent.<ref>Billy Hathorn, "The Frustration of Opportunity: Georgia Republicans and the Election of 1966", ''[[Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South]],'' XXXI (Winter 1987-1988), p. 38</ref>


Ironically, in his last act in office in January 1967, Geer presided over the legislative vote in the deadlocked [[governor of Georgia|gubernatorial]] race between Democrat Lester Maddox and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[U.S. Representative]] [[Howard Callaway]]. The impasse resulted because former Governor [[Ellis Arnall]], an Atlanta lawyer, polled more than 52,000 ballots as a write-in candidate. Under the 1824 Georgia State Constitution, the legislature was required to choose between Callaway and Maddox as the top two candidates. Though Geer supported Maddox and ordered all legislators to vote, eleven lawmakers, including the [[African American]] Representative [[Julian Bond]], refused to do so. The heavily Democratic assembly nevertheless voted 182 to 66 for Maddox. As Maddox took office, [[George Thornewell Smith]] succeeded Geer as lieutenant governor.<ref>''Atlanta History'', p. 47</ref>
⚫
After leaving office, Geer returned to the [[practice of law]]. In 1973, he prosecuted four men accused of slaying six Alday family members in [[Seminole County, Georgia]].<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE4DB123DF937A35752C0A96E948260&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss 1973 Alday murders</ref> Geer obtained convictions and death sentences for the three principal defendants, although the convictions were later overturned due to pre-trial publicity which was held to have unduly prejudiced the jury. Later [[U.S. President]] [[Jimmy Carter]], then the governor of Georgia, called the mass murder "the most heinous in Georgia history".<ref name="mercer.edu"/>

⚫
Geer then returned to the [[practice of law]]. In 1973, Geer prosecuted four men accused of slaying six Alday family members in [[Seminole County, Georgia|Seminole County]], Georgia.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE4DB123DF937A35752C0A96E948260&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss 1973 Alday murders</ref> Geer obtained convictions and death sentences for the three principal defendants, although the convictions were later overturned because of pre-trial publicity which was held to have unduly prejudiced the jury. Later [[U.S. President]] [[Jimmy Carter]], then the governor of Georgia, called the mass murder "the most heinous in Georgia history".<ref name="mercer.edu"/>
Geer died of [[cancer]] and was buried in the city cemetery in his native Colquitt.
Geer died of [[cancer]] and was buried in the city cemetery in his native Colquitt.
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American politician
| DATE OF BIRTH = August 24, 1928
| DATE OF BIRTH = August 24, 1928
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia, USA
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Colquitt, Georgia|Colquitt]], [[Miller County, Georgia|Miller County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[United States|USA]]
| DATE OF DEATH = January 5, 1997
| DATE OF DEATH = January 5, 1997
| PLACE OF DEATH =
| PLACE OF DEATH =

Revision as of 03:02, 27 April 2012

Peter Zack Geer
Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
In office
1963–1967
GovernorCarl Sanders
Preceded byGarland T. Byrd
Succeeded byGeorge T. Smith
Personal details
Born(1928-08-24)August 24, 1928
Colquitt, Miller County, Georgia, USA
DiedJanuary 5, 1997(1997-01-05) (aged 68)
Resting placeColquitt City Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materOglethorpe University
Walter F. George School of Law
at Mercer University
ProfessionLawyer

Peter Zack Geer (August 24, 1928 – January 5, 1997) was a lawyer and a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Georgia.

Geer was born in Colquitt in Miller County in southwestern Georgia. In 1951, he graduated in 1951 from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon and became a prominent attorney.[1] After service as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Geer was the fifth Lieutenant Governor of Georgia from 1963 to 1967 under his fellow Democrat, Governor Carl Sanders. To win the lieutenant governorship, Geer defeated in the 1962 primary runoff his fellow segregationist and later Governor Lester Maddox, a restauranteur from Atlanta, by a margin of 55 to 45 percent.[2]

Ironically, in his last act in office in January 1967, Geer presided over the legislative vote in the deadlocked gubernatorial race between Democrat Lester Maddox and Republican U.S. Representative Howard Callaway. The impasse resulted because former Governor Ellis Arnall, an Atlanta lawyer, polled more than 52,000 ballots as a write-in candidate. Under the 1824 Georgia State Constitution, the legislature was required to choose between Callaway and Maddox as the top two candidates. Though Geer supported Maddox and ordered all legislators to vote, eleven lawmakers, including the African American Representative Julian Bond, refused to do so. The heavily Democratic assembly nevertheless voted 182 to 66 for Maddox. As Maddox took office, George Thornewell Smith succeeded Geer as lieutenant governor.[3]

Geer then returned to the practice of law. In 1973, Geer prosecuted four men accused of slaying six Alday family members in Seminole County, Georgia.[4] Geer obtained convictions and death sentences for the three principal defendants, although the convictions were later overturned because of pre-trial publicity which was held to have unduly prejudiced the jury. Later U.S. President Jimmy Carter, then the governor of Georgia, called the mass murder "the most heinous in Georgia history".[1]

Geer died of cancer and was buried in the city cemetery in his native Colquitt.

References

  1. ^ a b http://www.mercer.edu/advancement/publications/LawLetter/win97_7.htm
  2. ^ Billy Hathorn, "The Frustration of Opportunity: Georgia Republicans and the Election of 1966", Atlanta History: A Journal of Georgia and the South, XXXI (Winter 1987-1988), p. 38
  3. ^ Atlanta History, p. 47
  4. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE4DB123DF937A35752C0A96E948260&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss 1973 Alday murders

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