Thomas Matthew Gallen Jr. (December 28, 1932 – February 5, 2025) was an American politician and jurist who served as a Florida state legislator and circuit judge.

Background

Gallen was born in Tampa, Florida in 1932. He attended the University of Tampa, leaving during the Korean War in order to enlist in the

Army Special Forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, is a branch of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). The core missionset of Special Forces ...

. He was a member of the inaugural group of

Green Berets The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service Berets of the United States Army, headgear, is a branch of the United States Army United States Army Special Operations Comm ...

formed in 1952 and deployed to

Bad Tölz Bad Tölz (; Bavarian: ''Däiz'') is a town in Bavaria, Germany and the administrative center of the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. History Archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz since the retreat of the gla ...

, Germany in 1953, serving until 1955. After leaving the army he returned to school, receiving a BS in Business Administration from

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

. Gallen's father, Thomas Gallen, Sr., had been an attorney as well, practicing for only a few months before the Great Depression, then leaving law, but Gallen Jr. was never made aware of this fact until after his own graduation from law school. Gallen died at his home in

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...

, on February 5, 2025, at the age of 92.

Legal career and public service

Gallen was a law partner at the law firm of Miller Gallen Kaklis and Venable from 1960 to 1985. During this period he also held public office, serving as a member of the Florida legislature for 12 years, first in the Florida House of Representatives, where he served from 1965 to 1972, before being elected to the Florida Senate. During his time in the Senate, he became chairman of the senate rules and calendar committee. He served in the Florida Senate from 1972 to 1978 before leaving office, opting to return to practicing law rather than seeking reelection. In 1985, he was elected to the 12th Judicial Circuit as a circuit judge, where he was elected as chief judge in 1998, and served until he retired in 2002. In 2005, Judge Gallen received the Manatee County Bar lifetime achievement award. He served as a senior circuit judge for the 12th Judicial Circuit and associate judge on the 2nd District Court of Appeals. In 2009, he issued a legal opinion that led to the release of James Bain following 35 years in prison, after DNA evidence was used to prove he was wrongfully convicted of rape. In 2013, Gallen was named to the Manatee County Rural Health Services board of directors.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallen, Thomas 1932 births 2025 deaths Florida lawyers Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Democratic Party Florida state senators Politicians from Tampa, Florida Florida State University alumni University of Florida alumni 20th-century members of the Florida Legislature