Date and null

I have a Date variable in a JavaBean that works with a Oracle
Database.
If there is a Date value in the database it shows in the JSP with no
problems.
But if there is no value in the Date value it gives me a null error in
the JSP.
How do I account for null with a Date object?

If there is not Date value I still want the page to show the Date
Title with nothing there.
For example:
JSP view example if there is a Date value:
Submit Date: June 25, 2007

JSP view example if there is not a Date value should show like this
but it doesnt show and gives me a null error:
Submit Date:

My classes and JSP:

Bean:

   private Date subDate;

    public String getSubDate(){
        SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat ("MMMM dd,
yyyy");
        return formatter.format(this.subDate);
    }

    /*
   Also tried this just to put a value in there if null but it didnt
work:
       public String getSubDate(){
        if((subDate == null)
        {
             subDate = null;
        }
        SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat ("MMMM dd,
yyyy");
        return formatter.format(this.subDate);
    }

    */

    public void setSubDate(String subDate){
        this.subDate= subDate;
    }

Helper class:

while(rs.next()){
            AddressRowBean row = new AddressRowBean();
            row.setSubDate(rs.getDate("subDate"));
            ...

JSP Bean call:

Submit Date: <jsp:getProperty name="projectObject"
property="subDate" />