The Kentucky born senior judge graduated the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor's in Engineering while simultaneously serving as a naval aviator at Pensacola's Naval Air Station. He rose quickly and attained the position of lieutenant. Eventually, he found his way to law school, via Vanderbilt University, where he received his JD in 1971.
Confronted with a lawsuit filed by twenty-six states, including Florida and Mississippi, Judge Roger Vinson found himself at the heart of the controversial Obamacare health care overhaul. Known for his realistic approach, definitive and conservative stances and determined belief that Americans and their rights should always come first, he wasted no time in ruling the whole plan unconstitutional. Other rulings handed down before he had his say allowed some leeway for the plan. His, however, didn't allow contingencies for shoring up the plan; instead, he said rights are violated anytime one is forced to purchase health insurance or face tough penalties.
After spending six years as a naval lieutenant, and then several years in private practice with Beggs & Lane, a Florida law firm, Roger Vinson was told he was being considered by the Reagan Administration. He was then ultimately nominated and appointed a place on the U.S. District Court in Florida. The year was 1983. In his role on the bench, he found himself at the heart of many national debates, including an attempted ban on ''The Last Temptation of Christ'', which he quickly injected a bit of common sense into, saying ''...red flags should go up when government efforts begin to infringe on the rights of Americans''. He overturned that ban without a moment's hesitation.
Other controversial cases included a $135 million lawsuit against the restaurant, Shoney's, for race discrimination in the early 1990s. Remember Marcus Schrenker? He is the former financial manager who faked his own death in order to escape prosecution by parachuting out of a plane. After he was located and brought to justice, Judge Vinson sentenced him to federal prison time in 2009. He was sentenced to four years.
Vinson was named president of the America Camellia Society in 2009 and three years earlier, he was appointed to the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees international surveillance warrants for suspected spies in the U.S. In this capacity, he works closely with the FBI and CIA.
Judge Vinson lives in Florida and is now, like most of the rest of the country, waiting for word from the Obama Administration regarding its appeal of his ruling.
