Justice Perry bids the court farewell.

The rotunda at the Florida Supreme Court was abuzz with well-wishers, as Justice James E.C. Perry dispensed hug after hug and posed for cellphone photo after photo, following an hour-long retirement tribute on December 7.

After nine years as an 18th Circuit judge, followed by eight years on the Florida Supreme Court, 72-year-old Perry finishes his judicial career at the end of December because of "constitutional-senility," the Florida law mandating judges retire during the term they hit 70.

Calling Perry "a true pioneer in our profession" and a justice "with an unblemished record as a good and faithful public servant," Chief Justice Jorge Labarga announced a surprise speaker.

Charlie Crist, recently elected as a Democratic U.S. representative for Florida's 13th District, flew down from training at Harvard University to tell Justice Perry: "I love you and I am proud of your service."

The former Republican Florida governor told about the first time he met Perry, during an interview for a seat on the Florida Supreme Court.

When Crist told Perry to just relax, Perry responded: "I'm the most relaxed guy you are ever going to meet."

"Why's that?" Crist asked.

"Because I just try to do what's right," Perry said.

"That touched my heart," Crist said, mentioning Perry's work with the Jackie Robinson Athletic Association in the 1990s, a baseball program serving 650 at-risk boys and girls, the largest in the nation.

"And he went to Columbia Law School, which I could never have gotten in," Crist said. "He's a big man with an even bigger heart."

Florida Bar President Bill Schifino thanked Crist for the courage to appoint Perry to the bench, amidst strong signals sent by Republicans not to appoint Perry.

When Schifino read the profile of Justice Perry in the September/October Florida Bar Journal, he said the overwhelming attribute he learned about Perry was his courage.

He recounted how Perry took on the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners in a federal lawsuit in 1972, after Perry, along with 49 other black applicants, took the Georgia bar exam in June 1972 and learned he passed the multi-state exam, but did not pass the Georgia bar. When Perry found out that none of the 50 black applicants taking the test had passed, he called a meeting and 16 out of the 50 agreed to join his lawsuit. The others told him, "You are going to be blackballed the rest of your life." When Perry told his mother he was taking on the Georgia bar examiners in federal court, she said...