{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = T. Patt Maney |image = General Patt Maney.jpg | state_house = Florida | district = 4th | term_start = November 3, 2020 | term_end = | predecessor = Mel Ponder | successor = | office2 = Judge of the Okaloosa County Court | term_start2 = 1989 | term_end2 = 2018 | birth_name = Thomas P. Maney | birth_date = May 1948 | birth_place = Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | spouse = Caroline Maney | children = 2 | alma_mater = University of Kentucky (BA)<br>University of Louisville (JD)<br>Troy University (MS) | occupation = Attorney, Judge, Politician
| nickname = Patt | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{army|United States}} | service_years = 1970–2007 | rank = 25px Brigadier General | unit = USACAPOC | commands = * 350th Civil Affairs Command * 354th Civil Affairs Brigade | battles = * Operation Just Cause * Operation Uphold Democracy * Operation Joint Endeavor * Operation Enduring Freedom | awards = * Legion of Merit (2) * Bronze Star Medal (2) * Purple Heart * Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service * Ghazi Mir Batcha Khan Medal (Afghanistan) }}
'''Thomas Patterson Maney''' (born May 1948) is an American politician. He served in the United States Army, retiring in 2007 with the rank of brigadier general. Maney was appointed to a county judgeship in Florida in 1989, and retired from the position in 2018. He has served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives since 2020.
==Early life, education and military career== Patt Maney was one of seven children born to parents Charles Thomas Maney and Mary Bewlay Steele Maney.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mary Bewlay Steele Maney |url=https://obits.nwfdailynews.com/amp/obituaries/nwfdailynews/96296559 |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=October 16, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Jonathan Winslow Maney |url=https://obits.nwfdailynews.com/obituaries/nwfdailynews/obituary.aspx?n=jonathan-winslow-maney&pid=196359494&fhid=10288 |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=June 19, 2020}}</ref> Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Maney attended the University of Kentucky in his hometown where he was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.<ref name="ukmaneyprofile">{{cite news |url=https://armyrotc.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/BG%20Thomas%20P.%20Maney.pdf |title=BRIGADIER GENERAL (R) THOMAS P. "PATT" MANEY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY CLASS OF 1970 |access-date=April 9, 2021 |publisher=University of Kentucky}}</ref> Maney completed his undergraduate education in 1970,<ref name="ukmaneyprofile"/> and pursued legal studies at the University of Louisville School of Law. He formally joined the United States Army in 1970,<ref name="yearofmove">{{cite news |title=Patt Maney receives state award from DAR |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20190326/patt-maney-receives-state-award-from-dar |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=March 26, 2019}}</ref> and obtained his degree in law in 1974.<ref name="judgeretire"/> While serving in the military, Maney also studied at the Army War College, graduating in 1989.<ref name="warcollegegraddate">{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Jim |title=Maney receives Army War College award |url=https://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/20191125/maney-receives-army-war-college-award |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Crestview News Bulletin |date=November 25, 2019}}</ref> He served during Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, as well as Operations Joint Guard and Joint Endeavor in Bosnia.<ref name="ukmaneyprofile"/> Maney was injured by an improvised explosive device in August 2005, while in Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom.<ref name="ukmaneyprofile"/><ref name="judgeretire"/> The explosion tore cartilage in both shoulders, sprained his knees, broke his nose, cracked 27 of his teeth, and caused a traumatic brain injury.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Saintsing |first1=Matt |title=All because of Judge Maney |url=https://www.dav.org/learn-more/news/2019/all-because-of-judge-maney/ |access-date=October 18, 2021 |publisher=Disabled American Veterans |date=July 16, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=DAV names Maney Outstanding Disabled Vet of the year for 2019 |url=https://www.newsherald.com/news/20190805/dav-names-maney-outstanding-disabled-vet-of-year-for-2019 |access-date=October 18, 2021 |work=Panama City News Herald |date=August 5, 2019}}</ref> He spent twenty months in recovery at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and subsequently ended his military career in April 2007, having served nearly 37 years in the army and advancing to the rank of brigadier general.<ref name="ukmaneyprofile"/><ref name="yearofmove"/> The University of Kentucky awarded Maney an honorary doctorate in law in 2016.<ref name="hdoc2016">{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Kathy |title=UK Board Approves Four Honorary Degree Recipients for May Commencement |url=https://uknow.uky.edu/content/uk-board-approves-four-honorary-degree-recipients-may-commencement |access-date=April 9, 2021 |publisher=University of Kentucky |date=February 19, 2016}}</ref>
==Judicial and political career== Maney began his legal career in Louisville, Kentucky,<ref name="hdoc2016"/> then moved to Okaloosa County, Florida in 1975,<ref name="yearofmove"/> and continued the practice of law in Fort Walton Beach.<ref name="hdoc2016"/> Maney practiced law for fifteen years prior to his appointment as a county judge in Florida's First Judicial Circuit for Okaloosa County in 1989.<ref name="judgeretire"/> In May 2007, Maney tentatively resumed his judgeship, having recovered from wounds related to his tour of duty in Afghanistan. On January 31, 2016, Maney became the longest-serving county or circuit judge to preside within the First Judicial Circuit. He retired from the bench in May 2018, the same month he turned seventy, Florida's mandatory retirement age for judges.<ref name="judgeretire">{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Tom |title=T. Patterson Maney to retire in May |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20180223/t-patterson-maney-to-retire-in-may |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=February 23, 2018}}</ref>
Eventually, Maney settled in Shalimar.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Judnich |first1=Tony |title=FWB Chamber interviews candidates in 2nd Q&A session |url=https://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20200521/fwb-chamber-interviews-candidates-in-2nd-qa-session |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=The Gadsden Times |date=May 21, 2020}}</ref> By September 2019, Maney had already expressed interest in contesting an open seat in the state legislature.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Tom |title=Two more say they will run for Ponder's House seat |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20190911/two-more-say-they-will-run-for-ponders-house-seat |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=September 11, 2019}} [https://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/20190911/two-more-say-they-will-run-for-ponders-house-seat Alternative URL]</ref> Maney pre-qualified his candidacy for the 2020 Florida House of Representatives election with the Florida Division of Elections in October 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Patt Maney pre-qualifies to run for the Florida House of Representatives |url=https://www.thedestinlog.com/news/20191008/patt-maney-pre-qualifies-to-run-for-florida-house-of-representatives |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=The Destin Log |date=October 8, 2019}} Alternative URLs [https://www.houmatoday.com/news/20191008/patt-maney-pre-qualifies-to-run-for-florida-house-of-representatives 1] [https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20191008/patt-maney-pre-qualifies-to-run-for-florida-house-of-representatives 2]</ref> Maney finished first in a field of four candidates during a Republican Party primary, held on August 18, 2020, to nominate a candidate for Florida's 4th House of Representatives district, a seat left open by Mel Ponder.<ref name="82020primary">{{cite news |last1=Judnich |first1=Tony |title=Maney advances to general election bid for state rep. seat |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2020/08/18/retired-judge-patt-maney-moves-bid-state-rep-seat/3391318001/ |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=August 18, 2020}}</ref> He defeated Democratic Party candidate John Plante and write-in candidate Lance Lawrence in the general election.<ref name="82020primary"/><ref name="112020general">{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Tom |title=Patt Maney wins Florida House seat over Democrat John Plante |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/11/03/election-results-florida-senate-house-okaloosa-county-broxson-butler-maney-plante-williamson-hoover/6005447002/ |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=November 3, 2020}}</ref> Maney was sworn in as a member of the Florida House of Representatives on November 17, 2020.<ref name="112020takeoffice">{{cite news |last1=Ravine |first1=Devon |title=Maney, decorated veteran and long-serving judge, sworn in as state representative |url=https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2020/11/18/retired-judge-patt-maney-sworn-tuesday-state-representative/3764904001/ |access-date=April 9, 2021 |work=Northwest Florida Daily News |date=November 18, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4764 Patt Maney Florida House Rep's Page]
{{Florida House of Representatives}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maney, Patt}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:20th-century Florida state court judges Category:21st-century American judges Category:Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Category:United States Army War College alumni Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:University of Louisville School of Law alumni Category:Politicians from Lexington, Kentucky Category:People from Fort Walton Beach, Florida Category:United States Army generals Category:United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Florida lawyers Category:County judges in the United States Category:Military personnel from Lexington, Kentucky Category:Military personnel from Florida Category:Lawyers from Louisville, Kentucky Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature