Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Family Barred From Seeing Comatose Woman
Las Vegas Sun ^ | 10/22/03 | Mitch Stacy

Posted on 10/22/2003 9:23:09 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - The family of a disabled woman now under treatment by orders of Gov. Jeb Bush is barred from seeing her because her husband won't allow it, the family's attorney said Tuesday.

Michael Schiavo is Terri Schiavo's official guardian, and can designate who is allowed to see his wife. She had gone without food and water for six days under a court order that allowed her husband to remove the feeding tube that kept her alive for more than a decade.

Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday, acting under a hastily approved law by the Florida Legislature, ordered Terri Schiavo taken to a hospital where doctors could begin the process of rehydrating and eventually feeding her.

Attorneys for parents Bob and Mary Schindler said Terri Schiavo's brother, Bob Schindler Jr., was turned away Tuesday night when he attempted to see his sister. It was not clear what condition Terri Schiavo was in Wednesday morning, about 12 hours after she was moved from a Pinellas Park hospice where she was dying to Morton Plant Hospital in nearby Clearwater.

"They have been told Terri can have no visitors under Michael's order," said Tom Brodersen, a paralegal who is a member of the Schindler's legal team that has waged a years-long court battle to keep Terri Schiavo alive.

George Felos, the attorney for Michael Schiavo, did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday morning.

The fight over Terri Schiavo's life took a dramatic twist Tuesday with Bush's intervention in the decade-long legal battle between the Schindlers and their son-in-law.

Michael Schiavo says his wife never wanted to be kept alive artificially and doctors have testified she is in a persistent vegetative state. The Schindlers dispute she had such wishes and say their daughter has enough functioning ability to laugh, cry and react to them.

Felos called the reinsertion of the tube "an absolute horrible tragedy for Terri Schiavo."

"The governor of the state of Florida does not have the right to trump a patient's personal choice," he said.

Felos said that on Tuesday, Terri was showing signs of massive organ failure and that the reinsertion of the tube is just prolonging her death. He said he did not know her condition Wednesday.

"She was literally absconded from her death bed in the middle of her dying process," he told ABC's "Good Morning America."

Observers wondered whether the Legislature and the governor overstepped constitutional boundaries by ramming through legislation that overruled the courts.

"It presents a new legal issue that I've never heard of," said former Florida Supreme Court Justice Stephen Grimes.

The feeding tube was removed last Wednesday after a court refused to intervene. Doctors said the 39-year-old woman would die within a week to 10 days without nutrition and water.

On Tuesday, an ambulance took Schiavo from a Pinellas Park hospice to Morton Plant Hospital after Bush issued his order to resume feeding her. A crowd cheered outside as she left. A hospital spokeswoman on Wednesday said she could not release any information on Schiavo.

Hours earlier, the Senate voted 23-15 for legislation to save Schiavo. Within minutes, the House voted 73-24 to send the bill to Bush. The governor signed it into law and issued his order about an hour later.

"It's restored my belief in God," said Schiavo's father, Bob Schindler.

Michael Schiavo, meanwhile, was "deeply troubled, angry and saddened that his wife's wishes have become a political pingpong," Felos said. "He, as many others, is absolutely stunned at the course of events."

Suzanne Carr, the woman's sister, called the lawmakers' action "a miracle, an absolute miracle."

Felos scrambled to try to stop Bush's order. He filed a request for an injunction, but Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer denied it on technical grounds. Felos refiled the request and State Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird also refused to grant it.

"We won. Terri won," her father said after the ruling.

Felos said he believes the legislation is unconstitutional. It is Terri Schiavo's right under the Florida Constitution to not be kept alive artificially, and the courts have affirmed that, he said.

Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe said the action by Bush and the Legislature "violates the core principles" of a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The court ruled in a Missouri case that Nancy Cruzan, who had been fed through a tube for seven years, could be permitted to die if "clear and convincing evidence" proved that was what she wanted. Her parents had fought for the right to remove the tube.

Schiavo never signed a living will, which lets people exercise their right to die should they become comatose. But her husband says she told him she would never want to be kept alive artificially; her parents said she never told them of the wish.

"I've never seen a case in which the state legislature treats someone's life as a political football in quite the way this is being done," said Tribe.

Felos will have five days to file additional arguments with the judge and the state will have five days after that to respond. The judge will then hold another hearing.

"It is simply inhumane and barbaric to interrupt her death process," Felos said. "Just because Terri Schiavo is not conscious doesn't mean she doesn't have dignity."

Court-appointed doctors have described Schiavo as being in a vegetative state, caused when her heart stopped in 1990 from a suspected chemical imbalance.



TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: family; sheri; terri; terrischiavo
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-212 next last

1 posted on 10/22/2003 9:23:10 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
The media refuses to acknowledge she's not in a coma.
2 posted on 10/22/2003 9:25:45 AM PDT by Bogey78O (No! Don't throw me in the briar patch!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe said the action by Bush and the Legislature "violates the core principles" of a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision. The court ruled in a Missouri case that Nancy Cruzan, who had been fed through a tube for seven years, could be permitted to die if "clear and convincing evidence" proved that was what she wanted

Uh, Tribe, that's the entire point. To most sane people, the statement of a husband who is in a relationship with someone else and who stands to gain financially from his wife's demise hardly approaches the standard of "clear and convincing" evidence - heck, the government typically requires a higher standard to execute a convicted murder than it did to remove Terri's feeding tube.

3 posted on 10/22/2003 9:26:03 AM PDT by dirtboy (Cure Arnold of groping - throw him into a dark closet with Janet Reno and shut the door.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
FReepers, storm the damn place and get the Schindlers in there! The Guard can't take out everyone!
4 posted on 10/22/2003 9:26:30 AM PDT by Xenalyte (I may not agree with your bumper sticker, but I'll defend to the death your right to stick it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
"She was literally absconded from her death bed in the middle of her dying process," he told ABC's "Good Morning America."
unfrinking believable...if they had not removed the feeding tube she wouldnt of been dying
5 posted on 10/22/2003 9:28:45 AM PDT by boxerblues (If you can read this.. Thank a Teacher..If you can read this in English ..Thank a US Soldier)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
What is this cold, vicious son of a b hiding here??? What evil is he planning??

There should be some way to remove this sob as her guardian and transfer that right to her parents. He has a chick on the side he knocked up twice with one kid here and another on the way.

What's his game???? How incredibly stupid or incompenent ARE those Florida courts??????????????
6 posted on 10/22/2003 9:29:34 AM PDT by ZULU
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte
The family of a disabled woman now under treatment by orders of Gov. Jeb Bush is barred from seeing her because her husband won't allow it, the family's attorney said Tuesday.

You know, I've tried to keep my emotions in check through out this ordeal for the Schindler family, but this is just too much. Dammit, someone needs to take this little dipsh*t out back and whoop his butt.

7 posted on 10/22/2003 9:32:15 AM PDT by pgkdan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Why is her husband still her legal guardian? Didn't the executive order include provisions for removing him? By not removing guardian status from him he's still free to make mischief of the highest order.
8 posted on 10/22/2003 9:33:35 AM PDT by mitchbert (Facts are Stubborn Things)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection; NYer; ruoflaw
I hope this article is incorrect. According to Terri's father, he saw her last night.

I thought that Jeb Bush had become Terri's guardian. If that is the case, how can the evil Michael have any say in the matter of who sees Terri?
9 posted on 10/22/2003 9:33:37 AM PDT by Dixielander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Is Terri really being fed and rehydrated in that hospital?

Felos scrambled to try to stop Bush's order. He filed a request for an injunction, but Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer denied it on technical grounds. Felos refiled the request and State Circuit Judge W. Douglas Baird also refused to grant it.

Such evil, it's exactly like watching murderers desperately trying to finally corner their intended victim. But even Greer finally got scared off.

10 posted on 10/22/2003 9:33:41 AM PDT by xJones
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dirtboy
And (as pointed out by another diligent Freeper on a related thread) Tribe's citation of this case is half-assed. SCOTUS DENIED the request to kill Nancy Cruzan saying there wasn't clear and convincing evidence of her desire to die. The case was remanded to MO where lo and behold two witnesses were dredged up to agree that they had heard Nancy's wishes stated. They proceeded to kill her.
11 posted on 10/22/2003 9:33:56 AM PDT by pgyanke (No politician can claim to be for minorities when they fail the smallest minority... individuals)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Michael Schiavo is an evil bastard.

He has tortured this woman and taken her family away from her. He will not let her sit in a wheelchair. He will not allow flowers, cards, or anything of comfort into the hospital room with her.

No matter how this turns out, if Terri lives or dies, I think FR needs to stay on Michael Schiavo like stink on sh*t. He shouldn't be allowed to walk away and fade into obscurity. He has done all of this in the pursuit of money.
12 posted on 10/22/2003 9:33:59 AM PDT by shadowman99
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
I want to thank all Freepers for working so hard to save one life, for not joining the callous, like John Gambling of WABC has done.
13 posted on 10/22/2003 9:34:15 AM PDT by bvw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
There is something so deeply disturbing about this husband, I think he needs to be investigated. He trying to cover something up.
14 posted on 10/22/2003 9:35:47 AM PDT by Lucky2 (If I find out you're a liberal, please leave me the hell alone and crawl back into your hole.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
You can't starve animals to death in most countries! Why is it OK to do so with a human?
15 posted on 10/22/2003 9:36:24 AM PDT by isthisnickcool (Guns!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
Is there any Freeper in Florida who can verify this? It sounds like old news, recycled.

I thought the new orders removed MS as her guardian. And a guardian ad litem was appointed.

Color me confused.
17 posted on 10/22/2003 9:38:13 AM PDT by EggsAckley (..........................God Bless and Keep Terri.....................)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
In Florida it's illegal to treat animals like they have treated this woman.
18 posted on 10/22/2003 9:39:14 AM PDT by isthisnickcool (Guns!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Xenalyte
I would love to see that!
19 posted on 10/22/2003 9:40:12 AM PDT by zook
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Tumbleweed_Connection
That dirty rotten piece of scum.
20 posted on 10/22/2003 9:42:47 AM PDT by BlessedBeGod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 201-212 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson