Professor Appointed to Probe Schiavo Case

Guardian Unlimited ^ | Nov 1, 2003 | Vickie Chachere

[Future Useless Eater]

Professor Appointed to Probe Schiavo Case

Saturday November 1, 2003 1:01 AM

By VICKIE CHACHERE
Associated Press Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A judge appointed a University of South Florida professor on Friday to independently investigate the case of a severely brain-damaged woman at the center of a right-to-die battle.

Jay Wolfson, an expert on health care financing, will report to Gov. Jeb Bush and recommend whether the stay the governor enacted to keep Terri Schiavo alive should be allowed to remain.

Schiavo suffered severe brain damage when her heart stopped due to a chemical imbalance and has been in a persistent vegetative state for more than a decade. Doctors have said there is no hope for her recovery.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has fought to have her feeding tube removed, saying his wife did not want to be kept alive artificially.

Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, dispute that claim and have fought to keep their daughter alive, saying they believe she could be rehabilitated.

Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was removed for six days in October before the Florida Legislature and Gov. Jeb Bush enacted a special law to have it reinserted. The law also required a guardian to be appointed.

George Felos, the attorney for Michael Schiavo, and the American Civil Liberties Union filed briefs this week challenging the constitutionality of the governor's action. The state is expected to respond on Monday.

The judge said that if the law is found to be unconstitutional, Wolfson is to cease his work.

The Schindlers had objected to Wolfson's appointment, claiming comments he made to a television station indicated he was biased against the newly enacted law. The judge said he found no evidence of bias.

Wolfson did not return calls seeking comment.

The judge ordered Wolfson to report to the governor in 30 days, but said the deadline could be extended if needed.

[Annie03]

Thats Philly Inquirer-sorry.

[sweetliberty]

Sometimes she's in the bathroom, sometimes in the hall, sometimes across the threshhold of the bedroom door. She sure got around for someone incapacitated by trauma. < /sarcasm >

[Theodore R.]

With George W. Greer waiting in the lobby, it is hard to convince people to vote for straight Republican tickets, isn't it?

[sweetliberty]

"wonder why laws aren't being broken here??"

All his property and business interests are in the mistress' name and the trust fund is "frozen" (officially anyway). She is being supported in the hospice by Medicaid, and some of us are questioning if she (or rather he as guardian on her behalf) is drawing disability. It also appears that he may be hiding assets. You should follow the "Terri's Fight" threads. Lots of information. Very enlightening, and NOTHING that makes Michael Schiavo look any better either.

Terri's Fight - (Daily Thread/Updates)November 1-2, 2003

[sweetliberty]

"Bulimia and anorexia nervosa are not a combination condition."

They can, and do, sometimes occur together though.

[Annie03]

LOL-you have a good point. What I want is full disclosure to the public of the record of every judge we are called to vote for/against. We shouldn't have to dig around and spend time and money getting info on judges running for re/election.

[Theodore R.]

The problem is that big media rarely covers judges or analyzes their voting records. In TX people vote for judges strictly on the basis of party in most cases.

[sweetliberty]

"Persistent Fruitcake Syndrome"

ROTFL! Perhaps in more ways than one! Looks a bit light in the Birkenstocks if you ask me.

.

[sweetliberty]

"As far as I am concerned Terri is getting substandard health care."

Substandard? I don't think Terri is getting ANY health care. And I believe there ARE laws to prevent it. In fact, I believe that is the grounds upon which the investigation is being launched into the abuse and neglect of a disabled person. I am praying that this whole sorry case gets volleyed into another venue altogether and Michael Schiavo becomes an irrelevant sideshow.

[sweetliberty]

"until I read that Michael Schiavo is an ER nurse-RT combo. Isn't that amazing? What a coincidence!"

LOL! You noticed that too, huh? That post was reading "troll" in neon lights.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I am still waiting for our new friend Lisa the nurse to post the info she said she was going to give us, "shortly" to verify her info. I wonder where she went.

[sweetliberty]

"I wonder where she went."

Trolls 'r' Us...for backup?

[Krodg]

The fact that he said the Schindlers did not seek a GAL was not true. How much of the other stuff was really researched thoroughly.

Probably not much considering he posted this...

We need help from other FR members that love and care about Terri to tell us what is going one. We have only been investigating this case 6 weeks. There are many great FR members here that has followed Terri's situation for months and years!

107 posted on 11/02/2003 3:35 AM PST by saveterri1

In 6 weeks he managed to read documents that people following this for months and years haven't been able to find! Impressive especially for someone that also posted this....

I am dumber than a 3 minute egg and was just throwing out things for thought and hopefully clarification by you and the other outstanding FR people here, on what is going on in our fight for Terri in this regard.

That's all...Have a fantastic day!

122 posted on 11/02/2003 5:24 AM PST by saveterri1

[Diva Betsy Ross]

How long do you think it will take before they find another one?

[sweetliberty]

Well, they're probably working on a new strategy and screen names as we type.

[RusynMama]

Corrected link --

But the Schindlers did suggest a GAL -- see Respondents' Response to the Court's Requests Regarding Guardian ad Litem

[Diva Betsy Ross]

You also have the same double post patterns that our new friends to who came here to save Terri, have. Well, My goodness another interesting piece of the puzzle.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

But wait.. I think they found the clueless , doe in the headlight thing again. Interesting.....