One in a series on local judges.
by Sean McManus
Staff Writer
When Tyrie W. Boyer Jr. was a litigator in Jacksonville, he spent a lot of time traveling. Being trapped in hotel rooms all over the country and not wanting to just sit around, he decided to write a book.
It’s called “Retribution,” a “legal thriller with mayhem, romance and outdoor adventures.” It’s currently unpublished, but regardless, Boyer said he’s recently started another.
Boyer is a county court judge, successful attorney, law professor, military officer, outdoorsman, philanthropist, novelist, husband and father. If his life was a book, it might be considered a legal thriller. If it was a movie, Roger Ebert might call it a “Tour de Force.”
“You have to work hard no matter what you do,” said Boyer, who was sworn in as a judge just over a year ago. “I enjoy the law, so I work hard at it.”
Boyer is an adjunct professor at the Florida Coastal School of Law, something he says has been a tremendously rewarding experience.
“I am truly amazed at the quality of the students who are in my classes,” he said. “These are doctors, engineers, insurance executives and successful business people who just want to do something different. I really applaud that.”
Boyer teaches litigation procedure and evidence, which both have immediate practical applications as a lawyer. And he just completed a course which qualifies him to tech at the Judicial College.
“Judges are required to keep up with the law and take at least 10 hours of continuing legal education a year,” said Boyer. “I will be helping instruct other judges.”
In his capacity with the Jacksonville Bar Association, Boyer also spends evenings at seminars instructing other lawyers on ethics and civil procedure.
When asked if he’s a tough grader, Boyer said only, “The report cards have been pretty good.”
Boyer likes to hike and fish in different spots around Jacksonville and the St. Johns River. He’s also a hunter and a camper and says he’s been known to just sit in the woods and watch animals.
“We’ve got some land in Williston near Gainesville where I go to watch deer,” he said. “We’ve got a deer preserve. We tried cows once but ranching is a losing proposition. We grow pine trees.”
Boyer was born in Jacksonville and was in what would have been the first graduating class of Wolfson High School.
“In 1965 every public school in Jacksonville was discredited,” said Boyer, “so I went to Gordon Military School in Barnesville, Ga.”
He joined the Army Reserves where he spent 12 and a half years, rising to the rank of captain. He flunked the physical twice to get into the Army before he finally passed, serving two years active duty. He left for Gainesville to attend the University of Florida in 1969 and graduated in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in management. He was enrolled in the MBA program at UF when he was accepted to law school, where he graduated in 1976.
Boyer was the student body president in 1972-73, managing a $6 million budget in a “city” of 35,000, which was “bigger than a lot of Florida towns.”
After law school, Boyer worked in the Public Defender’s Office for one year before joining Mathews, Osborne, Ehrlich, McNatt, Gobelman & Cobb, where he specialized in insurance defense.
Boyer was one of the state’s first Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers (they start to take notice once an attorney has tried a certain number of jury trials. Board certified lawyers are required to be recommended by other lawyers and judges and take an exam). He was certified in 1983 and has been re-certified every five years since. He’s also certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is the first person to ever hold every office in the Jacksonville Chapter — secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. He’s been listed in “Law and Leading Attorneys” as well as “Leading America Attorneys.” He has an “AV” rating in Martindale Hubbell.
He’s the past chairman of two major Florida Bar committees, the Committee on Professional Ethics and the Civil Procedure Rules Committee. And Boyer is in three separate categories of Who’s Who Publications: Jacksonville Attorneys, Professionals, and the Registry of Business Leaders. He’s published over 20 legal articles and he’s active in 15 local community charity groups.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading and bridge.
His father, Tyrie A. Boyer Sr. , the former appellate judge, always dreamed about practicing law with his son. In 1979, the dream became a reality when the Boyers and former mayor Hans Tanzler started the firm Boyer, Tanzler and Boyer. During his time there, Boyer tried Cunningham vs. Anchor Hocking Corporation, which changed Florida laws about compensation for injuries sustained on the job.
Boyer said the key to being a good lawyer is being honest. He said litigators have their own personalities and get into trouble when they try to be something they’re not.
“If you’re loud, be loud,” said Boyer. “If you’re not, then don’t.”
After practicing law for 25 years, Boyer decided it was time to go for a judgeship. He ran for county court judge in 2000 against incumbent Hugh Fletcher, who had been on the bench for 24 years. Boyer won 65 percent of the vote in a tough campaign.
He said being a judge is “the perfect dovetail to what I was doing before,” meaning he was trying cases before and, in a different way, he’s trying cases now, only this time with the mandate to give equal validity to both sides.
Always the teacher, Boyer also likes being a mentor to other lawyers.
“It’s extremely gratifying when lawyers ask for advice from me,” he said. “And especially when other judges ask questions based on my extensive career with jury trials.”
It’s also gratifying for Boyer to hear from jurors who are appreciative to have had the opportunity to participate in the American legal system.
“When jurors tell me that they are committed to making our system work, it confirms my belief in America,” he said.
Boyer says it’s important to be available when you’re a judge “whether you have work that needs immediate attention or not” because you never know when a police officer may need a warrant signed. His capacity as a teacher means he stays current on trends, voraciously reading the Florida Law Weekly, the Florida Law Journal, and the American Bar News.
As a practicing litigator for 25 years, Boyer says he’s handled every kind of case imaginable and from every side. He even spent time as an intern in the State Attorney’s Office during law school.
Boyer met his wife, Lori, a lawyer, real estate agent and community activist who led the campaign to restore the lion fountain in San Marco, five years ago through Chief Judge Don Moran.
Her daughter Kim, 20, wants to be a lawyer and is currently a student at the University of North Florida. Kelly, 16, attends Orange Park High School, and R.J., 14, is a student at The Bolles School.
An avid hunter, Boyer started the local branch of Sportsman Against Hunger, which collects extra fish and game and brings it to food drives all over the City.