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Judge agrees to public access to DCF petition in Schiavo case
herald today.com ^ | Thu, Mar. 03, 2005 | AP wire

Posted on 03/03/2005 2:38:59 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida

TAMPA, Fla. - A judge Thursday agreed to make public a court document filed by the state's social agency seeking intervention in the Terri Schiavo right-to-die case.

A newspaper and television station had sued to gain access to the petition filed by the Department of Children & Families that attorneys say seeks to delay removal of the brain-damaged woman's feeding tube while the agency investigates allegations of abuse by her husband.

Circuit Judge George Greer said he would make the document available Friday.

DCF attorneys argued to keep the petition sealed, citing a need to protect the privacy of witnesses even if they are not named in the petition.

An attorney for the media outlets argued that the public has a right to scrutinize the DCF's actions in the high-profile case.

Terri Schiavo, 41, is at the center of a life-or-death legal battle between her husband and parents. She suffered severe brain damage 15 years ago, and Michael Schiavo has been trying for years to remove the feeding tube keeping her alive.

Greer has ordered the feeding tube removed March 18.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: dcf; greer; schiavo; terrischiavo
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1 posted on 03/03/2005 2:39:04 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida
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To: floriduh voter; phenn; cyn; FreepinforTerri; kimmie7; Pegita; windchime; tutstar; Deo volente; ...

Terri ping! If anyone would like to be added to or removed from my Terri ping list, please let me know by FReepmail!


2 posted on 03/03/2005 2:42:11 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

This is amazing due to the extreme privacy regulations in healthcare.


3 posted on 03/03/2005 2:45:48 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

I think it's to scare off anyone who would want to cooperate in the investigation. Now they may have to get subpoenas in order to get Terri's caregivers to squeal.


4 posted on 03/03/2005 2:55:03 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

It's another example of the "impartial" judge having made up his mind prior to 2000 in fact.


5 posted on 03/03/2005 3:00:46 PM PST by Theodore R. (Terri has already outlived Eleanor Centzone.)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

Hopefully, this will backfire.

Pray that the DCF wrote out in detail their concerns about spousal abuse, refusal to rehabilitate, and the adulterous relationship rendering M. Schiavo no longer a reliable, caregiver concerned with the best interests of Terri.

It will be nice for these things to splash big time into the media.


6 posted on 03/03/2005 3:20:30 PM PST by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of it!)
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To: xzins

Praying for sure!


7 posted on 03/03/2005 3:21:41 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: xzins

Do you honestly think that if that's what the documents say they will ever be reported in the news?


8 posted on 03/03/2005 3:29:18 PM PST by 2nd amendment mama ( www.2asisters.org • Self defense is a basic human right!)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

I agree and thought he would rule this way. Just pick the ruling that hurts Terri the most and 99.9% of the time, that's the way GREER rules.


9 posted on 03/03/2005 3:42:00 PM PST by TAdams8591 (The call you make may be the one that saves Terri's life!!!!!!)
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To: 2nd amendment mama

I think that if they make a big enough noise about DCF not releasing the documents, that the public interest could be piqued.


10 posted on 03/03/2005 3:44:11 PM PST by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of it!)
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To: TAdams8591

In this case Greer's rule is meant to be broken.


11 posted on 03/03/2005 3:44:51 PM PST by Boardwalk
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To: 2nd amendment mama
Yes. I'm not saying that many news outlets will run the story, but the station(s) that petitioned for the report in the first place will run whatever they get. Then, it may be up to freepers to get the word out to the larger public. At some point, the mainstream press (reluctantly) will pick up the latest developments in the case, if only to shield themselves from accusations of bias. I find this fact hopeful: the NYTimes, which from the start has been in favor of pulling Terri's tubes, used to write that Terri was in "a persistent vegetative state"; now, the Times calls Terri a "severely disabled woman". Are the Times's motives for switching noble? No way, but it's good news nonetheless.
12 posted on 03/03/2005 3:50:17 PM PST by utahagen
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To: Ohioan from Florida
Well I dont see the harm in it. Terri's neglect and abuse needs more visability, and that includes lack of her own legal representation, and using her rehab funds for lawyers to kill her but not lawyers or doctors to help her live. It includes everything SINCE 25feb1990, not just from her 'attack' on that one night.

The Schiavo lawyers are already going to know everyone's name who helps DCF. Only the rest of us will be in the dark. And I thought it was called the sunshine state, and a few years back they prided themselves on having sunshine laws!





             

13 posted on 03/03/2005 4:36:59 PM PST by Future Useless Eater (FreedomLoving_Engineer)
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14 posted on 03/03/2005 4:40:07 PM PST by Future Useless Eater (FreedomLoving_Engineer)
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To: Ohioan from Florida
....citing a need to protect the privacy of witnesses

witnesses of what? They insist they have no evidence of abuse. If there was abuse, why wouldn't they have already put Terri into protective custody?

15 posted on 03/03/2005 5:05:41 PM PST by eccentric (a.k.a. baldwidow)
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To: FL_engineer

I like your information page very much!


16 posted on 03/03/2005 5:36:41 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: eccentric

Who is insisting that there is no evidence of abuse? The DCF? Michael? About whom are you referring?


17 posted on 03/03/2005 5:38:58 PM PST by Ohioan from Florida (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke)
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To: eccentric
witnesses of what? They insist they have no evidence of abuse. If there was abuse, why wouldn't they have already put Terri into protective custody?

Does this look like an agency that is a ball of fire or what?

Kelly J. McKibben, deputy chief legal counsel in that region filed a motion in Greer's Court that thorough investigation will be conducted.

18 posted on 03/03/2005 6:21:39 PM PST by bjs1779 (" It is unlikely that Terri currently needs the feeding tube." Examination by Dr. Hammesfahr 9/12/02)
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To: Ohioan from Florida

Don't they already have depositions from some of Terri's
former caregivers?


Perhaps, things are getting too hot, more and more
people around the world are watching and expressing
themselves in this case.

Michael, if he had a brain in his head, would give custody
to Terri's parents, and accept the rest of the money and
immunity from whatever in the future.


19 posted on 03/03/2005 8:05:30 PM PST by AnimalLover ( ((Are there special rules and regulations for the big guys?)))
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To: FL_engineer

Great information page. Thank you


20 posted on 03/03/2005 8:08:04 PM PST by tertiary01 (Believe your eyes and heart before some tests that can be falsified.)
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