Governor Bush Has Legal Authority, But Lacks Politcal Will To Save Terri Schiavo’s Life

THOMAS MORE LAW CENTER ^ | 10-17-03

[cpforlife.org]

ANN ARBOR, MI - According to Richard Thompson, former prosecutor of Jack Kevorkian, Florida Governor Jeb Bush has the legal authority to act in the case of Terri Schiavo, but lacks the political will to do so. Responding to the Governor’s statements that he cannot intervene in the civil case, Thompson claimed Bush is confusing the public on what is being asked of him.

“Nobody is asking the Governor to intervene in the civil case. We are asking him to initiate an independent criminal investigation based on a list of facts that suggest criminal wrongdoing,” said Thompson. “We have outlined for the Governor some of these facts, and confirmed his Constitutional authority to act. The fact that he has chosen to confuse the public by referring to the civil case, completely ignoring the request that we presented, reveals a lack of moral courage and political will. We expect the Governor to do the right thing, and so far, he has refused to do so.”

“If Governor Bush does not act quickly, I expect Terri will be killed by an overdose of morphine. She is being starved and denied fluids, and the Governor needs to act now before it’s too late,” said Thompson.

Thompson, now president of the Thomas More Law Center, delivered two emergency letters to Bush Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, asking him to initiate a criminal investigation. The letters outlined the constitutional authority of the Governor to act in the case, including a factual basis for initiating a criminal investigation. Bush has maintained he has no authority to interfere in the civil case that led to the feeding tube being removed.

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[sinkspur]

Who Can intervene in civil cases?

An appeals court. Apparently they have not, and are not, doing so.

This is a horrible situation, but Jeb Bush clearly has no authority to intervene.

It would be a political bonanza for him if he did so.

[Theodore R.]

Tip O'Neill once said that Ronald Reagan had "ice water" for blood. And GHWB amd Barbara Bush honored O'Neill with a gala retirement bash.

[RGSpincich]

The Bush haters using Terri as a political football. Disgusting.

[Theodore R.]

years ago they should have realized that Greer wasn't going to stop this

Yes, but every time, it seemed to me, the Schindlers were put back in court before the notorious George W. Greer. They did not get to pick the judge. The Schindlers did all they could for so long. They lost their house and probably are not in very strong financial condition. Meanwhile, Michael Schiavo is said to have an $80,000 Mercedes and is awaiting more money after the murder.

[Joy Angela]

Judicial Watch feels the same way!

They are encouraging Gov. Bush to take action!

http://www.judicialwatch.org/3517.shtml

[RLK]

Another notorious Bush-hater.

----------------------------

Indeed, the Bushs disgust me and I make no attempt to deny it. I am disgusted for very good reason.

[Theodore R.]

Do you know what happened to the federal judge who was supposedly interesting Friday night in reviewing the case?

It was said that this judge was awaiting documents from the FL Supreme Court. The FL Court was supposed to release its "findings" at midnight and apparently never did so.

Can this judge act? If not, it is clearly over, but I believe that's it's been over for years. With the Schindlers losing repeatedly in court before multiple judges despite all their evidence -- it seems senseless to me.

I wonder if they have been telling Terri in their visitations that Schiavo is having her killed. I bet that there were Schiavo "enforcers" while the Schindlers were in the room with here, and they could not speak so frankly.

[Tamzee]

Perhaps you could send a note with your opinions to Jeb Bush's office suggesting that very thing... I doubt it would get noticed among all the vicious accusations that folks are flooding him with right now, though.

[sinkspur]

Indeed, the Bushs disgust me and I make no attempt to deny it. I am disgusted for very good reason.

You're disgusted about everything, RLK.

Maybe some prunes would help.

[EricsMom]

Can an appeals court reverse itself and decide to intervene? Would it be a waste of time to contact the appeals court to ask them to intervene?

[Tamzee]

The Bush haters using Terri as a political football. Disgusting.

I agree.

[sinkspur]

Tip O'Neill once said that Ronald Reagan had "ice water" for blood. And GHWB amd Barbara Bush honored O'Neill with a gala retirement bash.

So? Reagan used to invite Tip over to the White House for drinks.

Real politicians know not to take everything personally.

[Joy Angela]

One of my mom's childhood-friends died like this.

She had cancer, and went to live with her son, who
is in his early 40's.

My mom went to visit her friend, and was shocked to see
how thin she was and tried to spoon-feed her some soup.

The son freaked out because it turned out, he was starving his mother to death, yet still giving her doses of morphine.

He wasn't even feeding his mother. This was his version of mercy killing.

She died several days later, he inherited all
of her belongings and that was that.

[Theodore R.]

Money talks, doesn't it? It may be that the "son" will have something similar happen to him. His "children" may starve him for his remaining funds. It is often said that a "fool and his money are soon departed," but I wonder about that sometimes.

[Theodore R.]

Sopmeone said that the Bushes had water for blood, and that comment reminded me of the Bushes hosting O'Neill, who said the same thing about Reagan. Yet the Bushes rode the Reagan wave to become politically viable. I knew that Reagan joked with O'Neill. I think I read that Mrs. O'Neill died last week.

[pollywog]

Perhaps you could send a note with your opinions to Jeb Bush's office suggesting that very thing... I doubt it would get noticed among all the vicious accusations that folks are flooding him with right now, though.

Done already Tamsey.

[MHGinTN]

When I read about that AND the FL subpremes supposedly reviewing the case, I got this feeling that it was false material planted to misdirect and discourage further activism. Justice Kennedy is the U.S. subpreme holding sway over the region, but it would take a federal circuit judge to first take it. If the governor doesn'yt act soon, all will be mute and a huge club with which democrats can bludgeon their way back into control of Florida. Ultimately, the lazy voting Floridians get what they deserve in leadership. [That's not an indictment of all Floridians.]

[MHGinTN]

Your 'every' is but another of your red herrings. Watch those stinky fish you keep tossing out, sinky.

[MHGinTN]

By stopping the execution of a ruling, until it can be thoroughly investigated and all the parameters, it is hardly the red herring you've tossed out ... "Of stepping over the separation of powers' line so that he can then overturn any judicial judgement he doesn't agree with?" sinkspur Forcing a time out is not 'overturning any judicial judgement', especially when there are extenutating circumstance that call into question the ruling itself. But that was a nice try, sinky.

[MHGinTN]

There ya Go! But that isn't the direction the apologists for Jeb want to take as they cover his butt for him.