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Felos to write a book about Terri.....have we found the $$$$$$???????

Prayer Trumps Politics and Evil
in a Florida Courtroom

Cecilia H. Martin and Jackie Doucette

The day opened ominously for Robert Schindler. While many citizens were hanging out their American flags and remembering the events of September 11, the darkest day in recent U. S. history, Bob Schindler shook the depressing thoughts from his shoulders and prepared for a court hearing. This was the long awaited day, the day of the “death hearing,” the day he would hear Florida probate Judge George W. Greer issue a starvation order for his thirty-nine year old daughter, Theresa Schindler Schiavo. Bob Schindler was tired; he and his wife, Mary had been locked in a major battle with Terri’s husband, Michael Schiavo, her court appointed guardian, ever since she mysteriously collapsed thirteen years ago. The last five years were spent trying to prevent the Florida courts from granting Michael’s petition to remove her feeding tube through which she receives food and water.

Although brain damaged, Terri smiles at her mother and is capable of a limited range of actions. A number of medical experts believe Terri can learn to eat and drink on her own, but the courts denied a swallowing test. Thirteen doctors have testified that she is not in a persistent, vegetative state. Nevertheless, the courts consistently ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo in his relentless pursuit of Terri’s death. After Michael was awarded in excess of a million dollars from a malpractice suit, he remembered that Terri once said she never wanted to live on life support systems and began preparing for her funeral.

As Bob Schindler apprehensively approached the courthouse, he saw a number of supporters holding signs, “Let Terri Live.” When Schindler entered Judge Greer’s courtroom accompanied by his son and daughter, he quickly realized that most, if not all of the occupants were either supporters of Terri or members of the media. Nearly everyone was dressed in black. Terri’s mother was at the St. Petersburg Hospice at her daughter’s bedside, seemingly to ward off any news of the judge’s decision from reaching the ears of her handicapped child. When attorney George Felos, entered the courtroom with his partners, his client, Michael Schiavo, was noticeable absent.

A hearing presumably planned for thirty minutes at most, turned into a three-hour struggle between the Schindler’s two female lawyers, Pat Anderson and co-counsel Celia Bachman and Schiavo’s right-to-die advocate, George Felos. Anderson and Bachman were outstanding in their defense of Terri’s constitutional rights. Anderson read into the record the statements of two speech-language pathologists who claim Terri is an excellent candidate for rehabilitation.

Bachman presented new insights on Florida’s guardianship laws, laws that apparently have been flagrantly ignored by Schiavo and the administrative system. The attorney’s fiery presentation appeared to catch Judge Greer off-guard, as she forcefully demanded the court do its duty to see that Terri’s welfare and rights are secured.

When a soft-spoken Greer asked shouldn’t he schedule a date to remove the feeding tube, Bachman fired back, “…fine, go ahead. But your obligation is to give her a transition into being able to ear naturally, by herself, because doing anything else is against the law, against Florida statuettes, and it is state-assisted homicide.” Anderson came in with a thrusting challenge, “…guess what – Terri never said she didn’t want to eat.”

Felos went pale. “Terri wants to die,” he said. He said she must die, because this is what she wanted. “We owe it to Terri.” The previously solemn crowd yelled “NO.” Felos consistently referred to Terri as PVS and a “lifeless human.” He characterized the Schindler’s efforts in trying to save their daughter’s life as “ludicrous” and a “waste of the court’s time.” He accused Terri’s parents of “creating confusion” with their desperation tactics. Lastly, Felos played the religion card.

Felos claimed that Father Gerard Murphy, a former St. Petersburg priest who gave inaccurate and muddled testimony regarding euthanasia in Terri’s case several years ago, was the “end-of-life” spokesman for the St. Petersburg diocese. Felos attempted to use the priest’s statement to prove that the Catholic diocese was in favor of euthanasia. He also claimed that former retired Bishop Thomas Larkin, who supported Terri, agreed she should be allowed to die.

The audience was made up largely of Catholics who were familiar both with Bishop Larkin’s support for Terri and Fr. Murphy’s false testimony. They had long deplored the fact that Bishop Robert N. Lynch did nothing to correct Murphy’s testimony or to support the Schindler family in their battle against euthanasia. In response to Felos’ comment on Larkin, they spontaneously shouted, “Not TRUE!” and said “Felos is lying.” The bailiffs appeared ready to escort the people out of the courtroom but didn’t ask anyone to leave. Two women sat silently praying the rosary. Others were praying silently also. David Pritchard, the Webmaster for the Terri Schiavo Foundation ( http://www.terrisfight.org) whispered, “Can you feel the evil in here?”

Anderson countered Felos’ statement regarding Fr. Murphy’s testimony saying the priest was not speaking on behalf of the diocese but was expressing his personal views. It is well recognized that the Catholic Church opposes euthanasia. Fr. Murphy has since asked for a leave of absence from active ministry and is no longer working in the St. Petersburg Diocese.

The noon hour approached; Judge Greer repeatedly looked at his watch. Felos approached the bench and asked that Terri’s feeding be disconnected at 5:00 p.m. Eastern standard time. Felos had commented earlier outside of court that he intends to write a book about the Terri Schiavo case. No doubt having Terri’s death begin on the date of the infamous terrorists’ attack of 9-11, would add even more drama to an already agony-saturated saga. Judge Greer’s announcement to postpone scheduling until next week so that he may study the latest presentations came as a much-welcomed surprise to all, probably the first significant set-back Felos and his client Michael have experienced. For once, prayer trumped politics and evil in a Florida courtroom.

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