Former Florida Chief Justice Stephen H. Grimes will lie in state at the Florida Supreme Court's rotunda on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. The public is invited to pay their respects from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. local time.
Grimes passed away at the age of 93 on Friday in Tallahassee. He served as the 72nd Justice and was the 46th Chief Justice since Florida became a state in 1845.
The tradition of lying in state is observed at Florida’s highest court to honor justices during their burials if requested by their families. The ceremony typically lasts for two hours around noon.
A Florida Highway Patrol honor guard will escort Grimes' casket into the Court, placing it behind the official seal in the rotunda floor. Current Chief Justice Charles Canady will deliver a short eulogy alongside other court members.
Following this event, a funeral service is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at St. Peter's Anglican Cathedral in Tallahassee, with a reception afterward at the church. Bevis Funeral Home in Tallahassee is handling arrangements.
Grimes served on Florida's Supreme Court from 1987 until his retirement in 1997 and held the position of Chief Justice from 1994 to 1996.
The Lying in State ceremony will be broadcast live through the Court’s media channels.