497:, for an assistant attorney general position because she had stated that she planned to participate in a religious ceremony of which Bowers did not approve. (Shahar planned a same-sex marriage ceremony with the blessing of her Jewish faith. ) Bowers claimed that Shahar's sexual orientation would prevent her from enforcing the state's sodomy law. Shahar sued Bowers, but the courts ruled that Bowers had not violated her constitutional rights in rescinding the job offer.
25:
462:
state sodomy statute. (Hardwick had engaged in consensual sex in the privacy of his own home.) The relevant county district attorney refused to prosecute the case, but the courts ruled that
Hardwick nevertheless had standing to challenge the constitutionality of the statute. The United States Supreme Court upheld the statute in
151:
461:
Bowers controversially performed the duties of his office by defending the constitutionality of a
Georgia criminal sodomy statute in a test case brought by the ACLU. The plaintiff was Michael Hardwick, a man who had been arrested by the Atlanta Police Department on charges including violation of the
430:
At the end of his tenure, one newspaper described Bowers's service as follows: "Unquestioned integrity and dedication to principles have been hallmarks of his administration, even though his unwillingness to compromise has angered politicians and constituents." Another well-known
Georgia political
505:
Since leaving public office, Bowers has entered private practice. In one notable case, he successfully sued Fulton County, Georgia for "reverse" discrimination against several white library employees who were given job reassignments because of their race. (Fulton County eventually settled for $ 18
404:
in 1974, and then worked as an assistant state attorney general until his appointment as attorney general in 1981. Running as the incumbent attorney general on the
Democratic ticket, he was elected in his own right in 1982. He was re-elected in 1986 and 1990. In early 1994, he quit the Democratic
417:
Bowers was known as a very active attorney general. He did not come from a privileged background and his public service exhibited a populist flair. He vigorously opposed conflicts of interest by public officials and contractors that might undermine loyalty to the citizenry and the public's
426:
Bowers vigorously opposed public corruption. His targets included long-serving
Georgia Labor Commissioner Sam Caldwell, whom he prosecuted for fraud. Bowers also prosecuted powerful highway construction companies for bid-rigging practices that were anti-competitive.
405:
Party to become a
Republican, and won re-election again later that year. Bowers resigned as attorney general in June 1997 to run for the Republican nomination for governor in 1998. He also retired from military service on August 31, 1997 with the rank of
418:
confidence in state government. For instance, despite fierce opposition from entrenched interests, Bowers was successful in convincing the courts that, due to an inherent conflict of interest, state legislators who were lawyers could not sue the state.
482:
was not correct when it was decided, and it is not correct today." Bowers has declined further comment on the case, saying "I did my job as best I knew how, and reasonable people can disagree about it, but that's all I want to say about it now."
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waitress. The woman, Anne Davis, stated that the romance had been active as recently as six weeks prior to Bowers's June 5, 1997, announcement. Bowers went on to lose the 1998 Republican primary to
555:
1126:
468:(1986). The Georgia statute that Michael Hardwick had challenged was overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court in a subsequent case in 1998. The U.S. Supreme Court later overturned its
673:, February 7, 1997 (in a political speech, Bowers stated that he was the grandson of a sharecropper who bled to death from lack of medical care and that his dad was a truck driver).
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649:
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In 2003, Bowers started a government relations and lobbying firm with his son Bruce Bowers and John Watson, the political consultant for
Georgia's then-governor,
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Bowers successfully led the merger of his
Atlanta-based firm into the larger Alabama-based firm of Balch & Bingham in June, 2003.
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in opposition to legislation that would allow discrimination against LGBT people on the basis of personal religious views.
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gubernatorial nomination, he admitted to a decade-long extramarital affair with his employee and secretary, a former
38:
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commentator stated that in Bowers "we have come to expect an unconstrained, outspoken and active attorney general."
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Caldwell v. State, 171 Ga. App. 680 (1984); "Convicted
Georgia Aide Vows to Oust Witness",
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535:
365:
100:
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Register of
Graduates and Former Cadets 1802–1971 of the United States Military Academy
805:
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In 2015, Bowers stated that his views on gay rights had "changed," and he lobbied the
493:
Bowers faced controversy again in 1991 when he rescinded a hiring offer to a lesbian,
1100:
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In September, 2020 Bowers joined the Athens law firm Johnson Marlowe LLP as counsel.
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513:
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695:, April 28, 1984; "Sam Caldwell, Ex-Labor Commish Dies," AP Online, March 4, 2001
451:, finishing with 39.92 percent of the vote compared with Millner's 50.38 percent.
439:
Bowers's political ambitions were derailed when, during his campaign for the 1998
388:
from 1963 to 1970. Bowers received an M.S. degree in industrial engineering from
974:"Former Attorney General Mike Bowers Leaves Balch & Bingham for Athens Firm"
626:
Kathey Alexander & Bill Montgomery, "The Bowers Disclosure Damage Control",
448:
192:
952:
747:
150:
348:
from 1981 to 1997 before mounting an unsuccessful campaign for Georgia
721:"Bowers Action sets example and creates opportunity for others,"
682:
Georgia Dept. of Human Resources v. Sistrunk, 249 Ga. 543 (1982).
1025:
542:. He received an honorary degree in Doctor of Laws in 1988 from
759:"National News Briefs; Republican Concedes in Georgia Primary"
63:
from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially
18:
878:. Overlawyered: Chronicling the high cost of our legal system
516:. Bowers said they had a simple objective: "to make money."
832:"Judge Affirms Suit by Lesbian Over Withdrawal of Job Offer"
1162:
Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
669:
Adele Brinkley, "Bowers sets forth his ideas for Georgia,"
556:
List of American politicians who switched parties in office
364:
in Atlanta. He now practices law at Johnson Marlowe LLP in
400:
on September 19, 1970 and earned his J.D. degree from the
897:
585:. The West Point Alumni Foundation Inc. 1971. p. 734
998:"Honorary Degrees Awarded by Oglethorpe University"
939:"Unlikely Allies in a Gay Rights Battle in Georgia"
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231:
226:
210:
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180:
161:
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864:Bogle v. McClure, 332 F.3d 1347 (11th Cir. 2003).
855:Shahar v. Bowers, 114 F.3d 1097 (11th Cir. 1997).
1127:Stanford University School of Engineering alumni
712:State v. Shepherd Const. Co., 248 Ga. 1 (1981).
384:with a B.S. degree in 1963 and served in the
16:Attorney General of Georgia from 1981 to 1997
8:
911:Massey, Bowers & Hembree (19 Jan 2003).
734:Bill Shipp, "Test time for new Att. Gen.,"
1137:University of Georgia School of Law alumni
1030:
573:
571:
356:through 1994, at which time he joined the
149:
138:
56:about living persons that is unsourced or
127:Learn how and when to remove this message
1000:. Oglethorpe University. Archived from
567:
1152:Georgia (U.S. state) attorneys general
1132:David Eccles School of Business alumni
652:. National Guard Bureau. February 2001
1122:United States Military Academy alumni
804:Douglas-Brown, Laura (12 July 2001).
644:
642:
640:
638:
579:"Class of 1963—Register of Graduates"
7:
785:Powell v. State, 270 Ga. 327 (1998).
937:Fausset, Richard (March 6, 2015).
14:
1167:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
650:"Major General Michael J. Bowers"
1172:United States Air Force generals
1157:Georgia (U.S. state) Republicans
874:Olson, Walter (9 January 2004).
534:His military awards include the
360:. Bowers has practiced law with
23:
876:"There goes the library budget"
392:in 1965 and an M.B.A. from the
344:(born October 7, 1941) was the
1147:Georgia (U.S. state) Democrats
382:United States Military Academy
290:United States Military Academy
1:
1117:People from Commerce, Georgia
1142:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers
830:Lewin, Tamar (11 Mar 1992).
629:Atlanta Journal-Constitution
34:biography of a living person
1079:Attorney General of Georgia
1053:Attorney General of Georgia
1026:Balch & Bingham profile
478:, in which it stated that "
472:ruling in a 2003 decision,
346:Attorney General of Georgia
164:Attorney General of Georgia
61:must be removed immediately
1188:
917:Atlanta Business Chronicle
398:Georgia Air National Guard
1085:
1072:
1067:
1059:
1046:
1038:
1033:
913:"New business for Bowers"
898:"Balch & Bingham LLP"
806:"Bowers v Hardwick at 15"
540:Meritorious Service Medal
335:
222:
169:
157:
148:
1034:Party political offices
608:russelldoc.galib.uga.edu
380:. He graduated from the
396:in 1970. He joined the
386:United States Air Force
736:Marietta Daily Journal
48:Please help by adding
544:Oglethorpe University
402:University of Georgia
342:Michael Joseph Bowers
314:University of Georgia
236:Michael Joseph Bowers
794:539 U.S. 558 (2003),
776:478 U.S. 186 (1983).
54:Contentious material
748:Our Georgia History
604:"RBRL/220/ROGP.027"
521:Georgia legislature
390:Stanford University
376:Bowers was born in
362:Balch & Bingham
298:Stanford University
944:The New York Times
764:The New York Times
699:2012-11-02 at the
465:Bowers v. Hardwick
456:Bowers v. Hardwick
422:Corruption fighter
394:University of Utah
306:University of Utah
1095:
1094:
1086:Succeeded by
1060:Succeeded by
1057:1982, 1986, 1990
723:Athens Daily News
475:Lawrence v. Texas
378:Commerce, Georgia
339:
338:
252:Commerce, Georgia
217:Thurbert E. Baker
137:
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37:needs additional
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1042:Arthur K. Bolton
1039:Preceded by
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501:Private practice
488:Shahar v. Bowers
413:Attorney General
358:Republican Party
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227:Personal details
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205:Arthur K. Bolton
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189:Joe Frank Harris
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50:reliable sources
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738:, May 28, 1997.
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701:Wayback Machine
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536:Legion of Merit
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366:Athens, Georgia
352:. Bowers was a
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259:Political party
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248:(age 82)
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185:George Busbee
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78: –
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76:"Mike Bowers"
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72:Find sources:
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40:
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21:
20:
1077:nominee for
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1068:
1051:nominee for
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1006:. Retrieved
1002:the original
992:
981:. Retrieved
978:Daily Report
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956:. Retrieved
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920:. Retrieved
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880:. Retrieved
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839:. Retrieved
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813:. Retrieved
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692:
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671:Henry Herald
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654:. Retrieved
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611:. Retrieved
607:
598:
587:. Retrieved
582:
533:
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518:
514:Sonny Perdue
511:
508:
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495:Robin Shahar
492:
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469:
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445:Playboy Club
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341:
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265:(after 1994)
212:Succeeded by
171:
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114:
104:
97:
90:
83:
71:
60:
43:verification
36:
1107:1941 births
1062:Wesley Dunn
449:Guy Millner
200:Preceded by
193:Zell Miller
143:Mike Bowers
1101:Categories
1075:Republican
1049:Democratic
1008:2015-03-13
983:2021-08-31
656:2022-04-21
613:2015-12-21
589:2022-04-21
562:References
506:million.)
441:Republican
372:Early life
328:Occupation
278:Betty Rose
268:Democratic
263:Republican
242:1941-10-07
87:newspapers
958:April 12,
953:0362-4331
283:Education
176:1981–1997
172:In office
39:citations
697:Archived
550:See also
538:and the
354:Democrat
350:Governor
181:Governor
65:libelous
922:11 July
882:11 July
841:11 July
815:11 July
101:scholar
951:
530:Awards
480:Bowers
470:Bowers
435:Affair
331:Lawyer
275:Spouse
254:, U.S.
103:
96:
89:
82:
74:
1083:1994
1069:First
162:45th
108:JSTOR
94:books
32:This
960:2019
949:ISSN
924:2012
884:2012
843:2012
817:2012
232:Born
80:news
41:for
312:) *
310:MBA
304:) *
296:) *
1103::
976:.
947:.
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915:.
834:.
808:.
761:,
637:^
606:.
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570:^
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368:.
318:JD
302:MS
294:BS
244:)
52:.
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46:.
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