Schiavo's supporters push Bush to intervene

St. Petersburg Times | October 17, 2003

[Autie]

Schiavo's supporters push Bush to intervene The governor says he's troubled by the brain-damaged woman's situation, but it's unclear if he has the legal right to get involved. By WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE, Times Staff Writer Published October 17, 2003

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PINELLAS PARK - Terri Schiavo's weary parents kept vigil by their oldest child Thursday as they awaited word from the governor on a strategy to save her.

Activists pressuring Gov. Jeb Bush to intervene submitted to the governor's office several legal opinions from lawyers telling Bush he has the constitutional right to force doctors to resume feeding Mrs. Schiavo.

Late in the day, Bush told reporters that his lawyers were still working on a solution. But he admitted they have found nothing.

"If not, she's going to starve to death. I'm sorry, to me that's troubling," Bush said after a news conference on teenage drinking and drug use. "I just wish I could do something about this."

Legal experts, meanwhile, expressed doubt that Bush has any option to force doctors to reinsert the feeding tube removed from Mrs. Schiavo's stomach at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

"In a nutshell, it really isn't the governor's official business," said University of Florida law professor Joseph W. Little. "There is absolutely nothing in the state constitution that gives him authority in this matter or a duty to do anything about it."

Professor Mike Allen, who teaches constitutional law at the Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, said a separation of powers prevents the governor's intervention.

"Maybe my view is a bit jaded," Allen said. "But I suspect a good portion of this is a public relations effort by the governor."

Mrs. Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, visited their 39-year-old daughter through much of the day, exhausted by the constant media attention.

"We're tired," Bob Schindler said in the morning. "We're just going to wait and see what happens."

As the parents wait, Mrs. Schiavo's husband, Michael Schiavo, has moved out of his Clearwater home along with his girlfriend and their 1-year-old child after death threats, said Michael Schiavo's attorney, George Felos.

Threats received by letter, phone and e-mail in recent days have been reported to authorities.

"We've gotten a lot of calls, mostly people blowing off steam," Felos said. "These threats, however, were viewed to be credible."

Felos also issued an invitation to Bush to visit with Mrs. Schiavo and her husband at Woodside Hospice. Bush's office has yet to respond.

"The governor seems to be under the misapprehension that Terri can be fed by mouth," Felos said. "That is not the case. If the governor isn't just using this case for political purposes and he's interested in the truth, we invite him to visit."

Michael Schiavo petitioned the Pinellas-Pasco courts in 1998 to remove his wife's feeding tube because he says she cannot recover from her vegetative state. The parents disagree, saying she might regain, the ability to eat and drink.

A judge sided with Michael Schiavo after a trial in 2000, at which he testified his wife told him several times during their marriage she would not want to be kept alive by artificial means.

Mrs. Schiavo has been severely brain damaged since she suffered cardiac arrest in 1990 from what doctors believe was a potassium imbalance.

- Times staff writer Alisa Ulferts contributed to this report.

[Autie]

It doesn't appear that Bush is going to be able to do anything. However, Michael has moved out of his house because of death threats. Any Florida Freepers involved? :)

[G.Mason]

Terri Schiavo:


FLORIDA APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS
ORDER TO REMOVE SCHINDLER-SCHIAVO FEEDING TUBE

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/SchindlerSchiavo061303.html

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Sept. 2nd 2003 U S District Court Tampa

http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentliving/schiavo.html

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Will to live project:

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/StatesList.html

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/FL.htm



On or about August 30, 2003:
Links to Documents:
Father's Affidavit http://www.zimp.org/robert.pdf
Federal Order http://www.zimp.org/order.pdf
Affidavit C. Johnson http://www.zimp.org/johnson.pdf
Affidavit H. Law http://www.zimp.org/Heidi.pdf
Affidavit C. Iyer http://www.zimp.org/carla.pdf



Posted on Thu, Oct. 09, 2003
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/counties/chester_county/6966709.htm
“Bush argued that to remove the feeding tube without first trying to get Terri Schiavo to eat and drink on her own would violate her right to life under the Florida and federal Constitutions.”

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October 16th Legal Opinion Letters sent to Governor Bush:
http://terrisfight.org/downloads/More.pdf
http://terrisfight.org/memorandum.html
http://terrisfight.org/memorandum2.htm
http://terrisfight.org/memorandum3.htm

[dead]

There's just no angle for Bush to intervene, that I can see.

The judge is a murderer.

[Autie]

I understand that. But it is situations like this that makes law abiding citizens act like Charles Bronson.

[sarasota]

Thanks G.Mason. You've done your homework. I haven't seen any updates this morning but assume we keep applying pressure. This is unbelievable.

[PleaseNoMore]

I believe that Michael Schiavo will find that he will have to hide for a very long time. For a while, there will be some who won't forget. I do not believe that he expected this to be a nationwide story. As for Jeb, I don't believe that he expected this to pick up steam as it has either. The only means of intervention now, if I am not mistaken, is for Jeb to order a criminal investigation.

[EggsAckley]

"....In Florida, these matters are entrusted to the system that our elected officials established to protect incapacitated adults....We must respect that system" -- Jeb Bush, Governor

"our elected officials???" Who elected Judge Greer?

[Theodore R.]

Uh, I would have been shocked if a professor from the University of South FL said that a governor could intervene in this situation.

Now, if this were a Democrat governor and a Democrat constituent so afflicted, I suspect that the professor would have reached a quite different conclusion, don't you?

[dead]

So what exactly should Bush do?

[jonno]

A bump for Terri...

[Autie]

I believe you are on target. While I am not an attorney, I do think a criminal investigation could stop this execution. Thanks for your thought.

[sinkspur]

The only means of intervention now, if I am not mistaken, is for Jeb to order a criminal investigation.

You are mistaken. There is no basis for a criminal investigation. If there were one, it would be handled by Pinellas County officials. Complain to Pinellas County, not the governor's office.

[Autie]

I agree with you Theodore. I am hoping Jeb is using his good Republican staff to work overtime before it is too late to find a solution. It seems to me that a divorce on grounds of adultery would be enough.

[Ferret Fawcet]

I refuse to believe that there is nothing that "the powers that be" can do to stop this. Still praying.

[G.Mason]

One more, if you haven't read it...........

Timeline of the Terri Schiavo case

[deannadurbin]

>>It doesn't appear that Bush is going to be able to do anything.

THIS IS NONSENSE! If Jeb Bush has the power to declare MARTIAL LAW in the state of Florida (and he does and he did right after 9/11) then he has the power to save an innocent disabled woman from being murdered by the state!

Jeb Bush will get no votes from me in future if he does not save Terri.

[marktuoni]

When is it time to do something BY FORCE?

She's not in a jail cell, she's in a nursing home. She's not surrounded by armed guards. She can be quickly moved to another facility out of state?

It may not be lawful, but the law in this case is on the same side as Hitler!

[Autie]

Just a thought. Could the Catholic Church annul the marriage?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Wasn't he a Clinton appointment?

[EggsAckley]

Probably. Under the administration of Lawton Chiles.