Posted on 03/26/2005 3:47:20 PM PST by Cherokee Conservative
The Miami Herald reported Saturday that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sent a team of state agents Thursday to rescue Terri Schiavo - but it was stopped short by local police.
"We were ready to go," Bush spokesman Jacob DiPietre told the Herald.
Doctors say that unless her feeding tube is reinserted, Schiavo, 41, will die a week or two after March 18. That is when a judge ordered it removed, having siding with Schiavo's huband's argument that Terri would have preferred it that way.
On Saturday, the Herald reported that local police in Pinellas Park, the small town where Schiavo lies at Hospice Woodside, were expecting "a showdown" between law enforcement agents.
But the squad from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Children & Families charged with taking custody of Schiavo and reinserting her feeding tube backed down after police told agents of the FDLE that they would enforce state judicial rulings preventing any actions to save Terri Schiavo.
"We told them that unless they had the judge with them when they came, they were not going to get in," a source with the local police told the Herald.
Apparently, the only showdown occured over the telephone.
"The FDLE called to say they were en route to the scene," an unnamed official with the city police told the Herald. "When the sheriff's department and our department told them they could not enforce their order, they backed off."
In ordering the move, Gov. Jeb Bush used state procedures allowing public agencies to freeze a judge's order whenever an agency appeals it. "We didn't want to break the law. There was a process in place and we were following the process," DePietre told the Herald.
On Wednesday, Pinellas-Pasco County Circuit Judge George W. Greer had signed an order forbidding DCF from taking the patient from the hospice, directing "each and every and singular sheriff of the state of Florida" to enforce the order.
But Thursday morning, DCF lawyers appealed Greer's order to judges at the Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, legally creating a window of opportunity to seize Schiavo, the Herald reported. The appeal created a stay in the judge's ruling.
It took nearly three hours before the judge found out and took steps to block that legal window, the Herald reported.
In the meantime, "there were two sets of law enforcement officers facing off, waiting for the other to blink," an unnamed official told the paper.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has been besiged by calls alleging Schiavo is the victim of abuse. On Wednesday, the governor and DCF chief Lucy Hadi made it known that they were considering sheltering Schiavo under the state's adult protection law.
According to Herald sources, DCF intended to take Schiavo to Morton Plant Hospital, where her feeding tube had been reinserted in 2003 following a previous judicial order allowing its removal.
Schiavo suffered brain damage in 1990 when her heart stopped briefly from a chemical imbalance believed to have been brought on by an eating disorder. She left no living will.
This unconstitutional stuff has gone on too long. It is only going to get worse. Time to call their hand before it is ever too late, if it is not already too late. It does not matter how many Republicans are in office, they seem to manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory everytime.
Yes but they already know this and if they want to rescue Terri they must ask for volunteers from the special forces and knowing the Bush brothers I suspect they have already done this. Keep the faith people!
Re: " These are the things that real revolutions are made of."
I realize you are not recommending such a thing, neither am I, but they need not be shocked if I just stand by and watch. I promise to schedule a tear, someday.
I hope you are right, but Terri is running out of time.
State agents wimp out when faced by local yokels. Governor turns tail when threatened by swamp judge. I simply don't buy it. There's more to this than meets the eye.
When was the last time we had one law enforcement branch/agency/wing of the military going up against another armed branch of law inforcement? i.e. cops against national guard, cops against other cops. That's a hell of a decision to make. Wouldn't want to be Bush right now.
Now, don't make fun of me for asking that. I'm serious, are there examples of this since the civil war?
I can't believe how many people on this forum does not understand that all law enforcement officers ( city , county, state, feds,) follow court orders. It doesn't matter what governor says. Thats the way it is in this country.
NOW , we all know the true color of the bush brothers
Ain't that the truth. He'll be having to take out his own office trash can come Monday.
No it doesn't. It shows how weak and spineless others are.
Re: judges have the power over law enforcement
which wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have a run away judiciary that legislates from the Bench and pushes their political agenda. Guess that's where the need for change comes in. Maybe it'll wake people up. Next time the Dems filibuster a judge, maybe they'll get a different response from the public.
That is not right. Police, etc. are apart of the executive branch and while they may normally be directed by the executive to uphold the judical decisions, however, they still ultimately answer to the chief executive.
What was so galling was at felo's press conference (after Jeb's), the way he smacked Jeb around. Arrogant little jerk.
That's what I keep thinking, too. Except WHY would Jeb Bush, who was actually mentioned as a future GOP candidate for President, throw away his future so easily? He couldn't get elected dog-catcher now.
Who knows. At least the National Guard aren't some unionized entity owned by the left. At least I don't believe they are.
"but they need not be shocked if I just stand by and watch. I promise to schedule a tear, someday"
Translation?
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