[The Federal Courts also put all of the burden on Terri, including, for example, the stance that the denial of basic care was the "status quo" that the statutory law was designed to preserve.]
That one really chaps my britches. The very principle of "preserve status quo" is to avoid irreversible decisions, and death happens to be irreversible. The appellate courts used mumbo-jumbo to avoid conflict. Being outcome-based undermines the legitimacy of the court system.
"It is the mandate of the court...." 2nd court of Appeals.