Florida Court Prohibits Terri's Parents From Joining "Terri's Law" Battle (ACLJ)

LifeNews.com ^ | November 4, 2003 | Steven Ertelt

[nickcarraway]

Pinellas Park, FL (LifeNews.com) -- A Florida state court on Tuesday disallowed Terri's parents from entering the legal battle over Terri's Law. They wanted to join attorneys for Governor Jeb Bush in defending the legislation that allowed Bush to ask doctors to reinsert the feeding tube that is allowing Terri to live.

Bob and Mary Schindler, Terri's parents, were represented in the request by attorneys from the American Center for Law and Justice, a pro-life law firm.

"We're very disappointed with the court's ruling," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "It is clear that state law permits the parents to get directly involved in a case to defend a state law that is keeping their daughter alive. It is unfortunate that the court did not find that the parents have sufficient legal interest in defending the state's actions -- actions that provide the only barrier between Terri and death by starvation.

Sekulow indicated the Schindlers may appeal the decision.

"We are currently examining all legal options available -- including an appeal -- for our clients. We will do everything possible to ensure that the interests of Terri's parents are represented in this case," he said.

Sekulow said the ACLJ is considering several options including filing a motion with the court to reconsider its ruling denying the motion to intervene; filing an appeal with the Florida Second District Court of Appeal; or, representing the interests of Terri's parents with the filing of an amicus brief on the issue.

In court papers filed Monday, Michael's attorneys said the legal battle is between Michael and Governor Bush and that, while Terri's parents have an interest in her well-being, they should not be a party to the lawsuit.

Attorneys for Governor Jeb Bush are expected to file a response to Michael's "Terri's Law" lawsuit this week.

The American Civil Liberties Union is aiding Schiavo in the lawsuit against Terri's Law.

Pro-life attorney Tom Marzen, who monitors end-of-life issues, told LifeNews.com he agrees the Schindlers have a right to be involved.

"The Schindlers should be allowed to intervene since their interests are certainly affected by the outcome of the suit," Marzen explained.

Michael's lawsuit also seeks a removal of Terri's feeding tube for the third time. The Schindlers' petition asks the judge to allow them to be appointed Terri's guardian in place of Michael.

Related web sites:

Terri's family - http://www.terrisfight.org

[GeekDejure]

Sheeesh... you're spoiling my fun... I wanted sweetliberty to confirm that it was intended to be "straight"... because I had a further reply based entirely thereon. Thanks, Party Pooper!!! :-))

.

[sweetliberty]

Glad you liked it.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Oh poo!

Drat!

Dagummit!

Darn!

Shucks!

Rats! (Oh, no, wait. They already voted...)

[sweetliberty]

"didja mean: Hard to keep y'all straight???"

YES! My eyes are crossing from so much reading (not to mention composing) the past 3 weeks!

[shhrubbery!]

Could it be that you have a reading problem?? Perhaps dyslexic??

Could it be that you are irony-impaired?

And could it be that you're Felos? Or a Felos-clone?

Your calling Terri a "freak of nature" is like Felos calling her a "houseplant." You and he are soul-mates.

[daylate-dollarshort]

"Two of three, including Cranford, were selected by Michael Schiavo and one by the court."

Gee....an educated man who doesn't read. Michael Shiavo did indeed select Dr. Cranford and Dr. Greer. The Schindlers selected Dr. Maxfield and Dr. Hammesfahr. Dr. Peter Bambakdis from the Clevland Clinic and clinical professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve University was selected by the Court.

From the fourth Second DCA opinion filed June 6, 2003:

"[T]hey all agree that the brain scans show extensive and permanent damage to her brain. The only debate between the doctors is whether she has a small amount of isolated living tissue in her cerebral cortex or whether she has no living tissue in her cerebral cortex" (emph.added)

That, it would appear, be five out of five that believe that the damage to Terri's cerebral cortex is extensive and irreparable. The "small amount" of disputed tissue is isolated therefore cannot communicate with whatever is left of her brain.

As an educated man, I'm sure you are aware that without a cerebral cortex there can be no consciousness or cognition. I'm also sure that you know that dead tissue cannot be regenerated or repaired and that permanent and irreparible means just that.

[Wampus SC]

Back to cut-and-paste again now, huh?

[daylate-dollarshort]

Again your logic is flawed.

A plant is not a freak of nature. A houseplant on the other hand, has all the consciousness the Terri has without a cerebral cortex.

[shhrubbery!]

Again your logic is flawed.

A plant is not a freak of nature. A houseplant on the other hand, has all the consciousness the Terri has without a cerebral cortex.

The comparison (between your calling Terri "a freak of nature" and Felos's calling her a houseplant) was a comparison of your outrageous statement versus Felos's outrageous statement.

Not a comparison of plants and so-called "freaks."

Obviously.

[shhrubbery!]

"Michael, no way am I going to dismiss their lawsuite, furthermore you need to come back into court and answer two of their claims. Tell the court #1 how you have provided good medical care for her, #2 why you don't have a conflict of interest because you are fooling around with another woman."

WOW. Thank you very much, tutstar, for posting that great news!

It may be too much to hope that all our prayers for the scales to fall from Greer's eyes have been answered. Nonetheless, I am hoping that!

[daylate-dollarshort]

"The comparison (between your calling Terri "a freak of nature" and Felos's calling her a houseplant) was a comparison of your outrageous statement versus Felos's outrageous statement."

Oh, I see. Well why didn't you say that in the first place.....or was your vocabulary exhausted???

[GeekDejure]

"didja mean: Hard to keep y'all straight???" YES! My eyes are crossing from so much reading (not to mention composing) the past 3 weeks!

Oak Hay... "straight" is what I kinda sorta figured you meant... and that makes me absolutely positively delerious with feelings of "Thanks to sweetliberty"!!!

Why??? Because I've been crooked since 1976. Permanently crooked... and that's why I'm now stuck in this thoroughly annoying wheelchair. But now... along comes darling sweetliberty... and even though it's hard to do she's gonna keep me straight!!! WOW!!!

Therefore, sweetliberty, I'd like your permission to nominate you for the 2004 KnowBell MediCull Pryze... cuz, in adition to your superb Freeper posting... you are a MediCull genious !!! ;-))

(hopeya gotta sensa humor2)

[sweetliberty]

[gooleyman]

My original question for Deep_6 & Legerdemain: "What do YOU, YOURSELF, PERSONALLY gain when Terri dies? For the third time, answer that simple question!!!"

-----

Legerdemain's answer to the question: "the rule of law, and the rule of the family..."

Note: At least Legerdemain had the small intestines to give this little panty waist answer. Where's your feeble attempt, Deep_6? Let's hear it!!

---------

Current law as passed by the House and Senate and signed by and acted upon by Governor Bush is that Terri can continue to live (i.e. she must continue to be fed.) THAT IS THE LAW!!! You want the rule of law but you want to chose what laws rule. It don't work that way bub. Laws didn't matter when your buddy Clinton was in the White House, but they do now, huh?

And what is this "rule of the family" crap? Her family is her Mother and Father. Her "husband" ceased to be family when he decided 13 years ago to kill her. He no longer has her best interest at heart. His heart is only interested in getting her out of the way so he can get the 700 Geez, and marry his sort-of-new flame.

That still doesn't answer my question. What do you, yourself, personally get out of Terri's dying? Do you live in Florida with a spouse that you'd like to..shall we say collect some insurance on? Would this case make it easier for you to accomplish that? Set a nice little precedence for your case to pull the plug on someone you "care for", HUH???

Wouldn't it be ironic if the HINO met some almost fateful end and wound up in a state similar to Terri's and his new flame decide to pull the plug on him. I'd like to see the look in his eyes as she yanked it out of the wall. He'd be thinking to himself, "NO...NO...NO!!!" Kind of like and old Twilight Zone show I saw years ago. I would have ZERO sympathy for him. There is NO innocense when it comes to him.

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND and we would all do well to remember that.

[gooleyman]

...Allow me to venture a guess here. The answer is in the game. They could care less about Terri, Florida law, the courts, Michael or anything else to do with this case. They're in it for the sport of it. They like trolling and manipulating peoples' emotions, kinda like the HINO (they identify with him, which is probably why they take his side). It makes them feel superior...

-----

You are absolutely correct. The problem with their logic is, while they think they're smart in getting our dander up, they are bringing out comments such as yours above which when read by a lot of lurkers will be taken to heart and it may change some opinions about this case. Had it not been for people like this, I probably would have simply lurked like I usually do, just to see what's going on and get some insight from other Freepers. When I read some of their totally off the wall comments, I just had to chime in.

They perform another service as well. I signed up with FR in 2001, but I lurked and contributed the prior 5 years beginning in 1996 or so. I'm almost an original. I don't recall very many relatively minor cases which created threads this long for this long a period of time. This one really hit a hot button for a lot of Freepers. It's people like them (the ones you referenced above) who make people like us enter our comments and lengthen the threads thereby keeping the subject in front of more people for longer times. I can't prove it, but I believe that FR was instrumental in the Florida House and Senate acting as quickly as they did for Terri. I don't know her or anyone who does know her, but I am grateful to all my fellow Freepers for what you've done for her.

She can't speak, but we have been her voice. She probably will never know about what so many people did on her behalf and that's fine. We speak for her because we know that what they are trying to do to her is 100% wrong. We speak for her in the same way that we speak for the innocent unborn children. Keep up the good work.

[sweetliberty]

So what I hear you saying is (yes, that is deliberate psychobabble) that even trolls have a place and serve a purpose. Awwwww....

*Giggling*

Thank you for your perceptive remarks. I'm glad you decided to jump in. This is such an important issue, for all of us. It really isn't up to the courts to decide who lives and who dies and the stand we are taking is the right one. Of that I have no doubt at all. I also have no doubt that FReepers helped a great deal to move the mountain that brought Terri's Law into being, and no matter what, we need to keep fighting for it to be upheld because many more lives could depend on it in the future.

[gooleyman]

I posted this question earlier and received only one reply. I'll post it again, but I'm doubtful any of the "pro-Terri's-family" crew will give an answer they can live with.

You dare to ask questions, but you won't answer my question which I posed to you on page 1 of this thread.

After you answer mine, I will answer yours.

[Wampus SC]

"My original question for Deep_6 & Legerdemain: "What do YOU, YOURSELF, PERSONALLY gain when Terri dies? For the third time, answer that simple question!!!"

Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Answering it would be straightforward. The Death Brigade is driven by something to evasive deviousness, and driven away from simple truthfulness.

Their name is Legion...

[Lion in Winter]

BTTT

[Deep_6]

Re:
"Here, ONLY ONE MAN has declared the death sentence be carried out.
One man has declared himself to be guardian, judge, jury, doctor, therapist, 
and appeals court .... and the sole witness to the relevent testimony."

One what?

I strongly suggest you stop reading the rhetoric of the bleeding
hearts and read instead the history of the case according to the
documentation accepted by the court.

The issue of Terri's future is not easy, nor careless. If you're
a parent or married, you would place yourself in either the
position of her husband or parents. It is between them, that
the conflict is, not between groups of medical professionals.

The evidence shows that Terri's cerebral cortex is deteriorated
to the point that it can no longer support it's purpose. It leaves
Terri with nothing more than involuntary movements. That
was the conclusion of every physician that has examined her
and provided that testimony to the court. Three times the
request was made to remove Terri from that life support
system, and three times her family managed to convince the
court that more time was needed. 13 years! Is it long enough?

I suggest you read how the clergy feels regarding lengthy
and non-productive life support systems.

But I would more strongly suggest you read all the court's
findings; all the admissible evidence, rather than base your
opinion on the rhetoric of the believers of hearsay.

Thanks.