Posted on 08/28/2003 5:20:42 AM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
Freepers, we may be able to help Terri:
I made some phone calls today and have the ULTIMATE PHONE CALL for registering a Complaint against Judge Greer. I can't reveal my sources but this is the phone number for a few pay grades above J. Greer.
Call the: Judicial Qualifications Commission at
#1-850-488-1581. I am complaining to them tomorrow that J. Greer isn't God, that he's been in the husband's corner since Day One, he doesn't care a wit about Terri's parents or her husband's attempt at medical neglect, and I'd like to know if Greer can be recalled or impeached.
HE SHOULD HAVE OR COULD HAVE HONORED GOV. BUSH'S REQUEST TO ASSIGN A GUARDIAN AD LITEM to represent Terri's interest instead of once again, taking the side of the husband. Judge Greer is from the Sixth Circuit Court, Pinellas County.
Oh, and ping everybody you can think of.
72 posted on 08/27/2003 5:06 PM EDT by floriduh voter
From summer:
"..do a separate thread asking people to call this phone number FV provided. This could get a guardian appointed if the judge is tossed off the case for BIAS."
Background:
In a letter, Bush asked Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George W. Greer yesterday to keep her alive until a court-appointed guardian can "independently investigate the circumstances of this case and provide the court with an unbiased view that considers the best interests of Mrs. Schiavo."
8 From JEB to FR: Full text of Gov Bush's letter to Judge Greer re: Terri Schiavo. Email from Gov Bush to summer, for FR | 8/27
----- Original Message -----
From: [Governor Bush's office]
To: [summer's email]
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 8:06 AM
Subject: Letter regarding Terri Schiavo
> August 26, 2003
> The Honorable George W. Greer
> Judge, Sixth Judicial Circuit
> 315 Court Street, Room 484
> Clearwater, Florida 33756
Dear Judge Greer:
> I appreciate the challenging legal and ethical issues before you in the case > of Terri Schiavo. As I have expressed over the course of the past several > weeks, our system of government has committed these decisions to the > judicial branch, and we must respect that process. Consistent with this > principle, I normally would not address a letter to a judge in a pending > legal proceeding. However, my office has received over 27,000 emails > reflecting understandable concern for the well being of Terri Schiavo. > Given that there is no procedural avenue available for these views to be > expressed to you in the normal course of the proceedings, I feel compelled > to write in the hopes that you will give serious consideration to > re-appointment of a guardian ad litem for Mrs. Schiavo before permitting the > removal of her feeding tube or other actions calculated to end her life.
> This case represents the disturbing result of a severe family disagreement > in extremely trying circumstances. Emotions are high, accusations abound, > and at the heart of this public and private maelstrom is a young woman > incapable of speaking for herself.
> I am disturbed by new rumors about the guardian's actions related to the > current care of Mrs. Schiavo. It has come to my attention that Mrs. Schiavo > has contracted a life threatening illness, and that she may be denied > appropriate treatment. If true, this indicates a decision by her caregivers > to initiate an "exit protocol" that may include withholding treatment from > Mrs. Schiavo until her death, which would render this Court's ultimate > decision moot. While the issue of Mrs. Schiavo's care is still before the > Court, I urge you to ensure that no act of omission or commission be allowed > to adversely affect Mrs. Schiavo's health before the September 11th hearing > you have set. No one involved should be permitted to circumvent due process > or the Court's authority in order to achieve personal objectives in this > case.
> Even discounting these rumors, there are a number of factual disputes > regarding Mrs. Schiavo's medical condition, past and current care and > therapy, and her prognosis. Given the contradictory positions of her > guardian and other family members, I respectfully ask that you re-appoint a > qualified guardian ad litem to independently investigate the circumstances > of this case, and provide the Court an unbiased view that considers only the > best interests of Mrs. Schiavo.
> It is a fine balance between Mrs. Schiavo's right to privacy and her right > to life, both of which are co-equal in our Constitution. To err on one side > is to prolong her existence, perhaps against her wishes, and continue the > debate. To err on the other is an irrevocable act that affords no > remediation. I respectfully ask that you give Mrs. Schiavo's family the > opportunity to present any new evidence as to her wishes. Evidence as to > her wishes should be reweighed as often as necessary to take into account > the effect of any new evidence, that is, to determine whether "clear and > convincing evidence" still exists that Mrs. Schiavo would now choose > withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures. While this process may delay the > surrogate's exercise of Mrs. Schiavo's privacy rights, it is necessary to > avoid denying her right to life. I urge you to err on the side of > conservative judgment to ensure that all facts can be uncovered and > considered before her life is terminated.
> I appreciate your compassion for Mrs. Schiavo's plight, and that of the > family members locked in dispute in these tragic circumstances. In light of > the ongoing contention related to so many issues in this case, I hope you > will consider appointing a guardian ad litem to ensure that the ultimate > decision is based on facts presented clearly, unclouded and uncolored by > personal interests of litigants.
> Sincerely,
> Jeb Bush
> cc: Patricia Fields Anderson, Esq.
> George J. Felos, Esq.
(WND article excerpts, cont.:) "On Friday, the Florida Supreme Court refused to intervene in the case, clearing the way for a Sept. 11 hearing in which Greer would set a date for removal of the feeding tube.
Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler of Gulf Port, Fla., have been locked in a decade-long legal battle with their son-in-law over the care and custody of their daughter, who suffered massive brain damage when she collapsed at her home 13 years ago under unexplained circumstances at the age of 26.
***The bitter dispute over Terri's lack of care became a major euthanasia battle five years ago when her husband Michael Schiavo petitioned the court for permission to have her feeding tube removed, claiming she is in a persistent vegetative state and would not want to be kept alive "artificially." The Schindlers and a number of doctors and therapists believe she could be rehabilitated, but the courts have consistently sided with Schiavo and his lawyer, right-to-die advocate George Felos.
~~~~
The article is on CNSNews.com.
Florida Judge Rejects Governor's Bid to Help Terri Schiavo
By Jeff Johnson
CNSNews.com Congressional Bureau Chief
August 27, 2003
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Florida Circuit Judge George Greer Tuesday rejected a plea from Governor Jeb Bush to appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the best interests of Terri Schindler Schiavo, a 39-year-old disabled woman who suffered a brain injury in 1990 under questionable circumstances. Bush had intervened Monday after receiving 27,000 email messages asking for his help on Terri's behalf.
"I read [Gov. Bush's letter] because it came from the governor and I respect his position," Greer told the Tampa Tribune. "Beyond that, it is going in the file."
As CNSNews.com previously reported, Bush wrote Greer Monday asking him not to remove the disabled woman's feeding tube until a new guardian ad litem could "independently investigate" her condition. In the letter, Bush referenced the "fine balance between Mrs. Schiavo's right to privacy and her right to life," which Bush noted are co-equal under the Constitution.
"To err on one side is to prolong her existence, perhaps against her wishes and to continue the debate," Bush wrote. "To err on the other is an irrevocable act that affords no remediation."
But Greer told the Associated Press that he no longer has a choice in the matter.
"Frankly, I think I'm operating under a mandate from the 2nd District Court of Appeals," Greer said, "and frankly I don't think I can stray from that mandate."
In that same interview, however, the judge contradicted his own assessment of the limitation on his authority by stating that he was "not inclined" to appoint a guardian ad litem.
Michael Schiavo called Gov. Bush's intervention on behalf of Terri "crazy."
"The governor has deliberately twisted the facts in this case in an apparent effort to kowtow to his right-to-life political supporters," Schiavo told Tampa Tribune reporter David Sommer. "This has nothing to do with him. He should stay out of it."
Schiavo - who, for five years, has been seeking judicial approval to end his wife's life by denying her nutrition and hydration - also accused Terri's parents of manipulating their Catholic faith to keep their daughter alive.
"I believe in God and so did (?) Terri," Schiavo said, speaking of his still living wife in the past tense, "but they are out to push it on people... suddenly they are on a religious kick."
Judge refuses motion for hearing to set 'death date'
Greer also denied a motion Tuesday to hold an immediate hearing to set a date for the removal of Terri's nutrition and hydration tube. The hearing will be held, as previously announced, on Sept. 11. At that hearing, Greer will also rule on whether Schiavo may legally prohibit Terri's priest from visiting her.
Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, had also petitioned the court Monday to prohibit doctors from caring for Terri's current fever, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea and a "substantial infection."
"Given the imminence of the ward's death, further treatment (other than comfort care) for the ward's infection and other medical problems is unnecessary, unwarranted, inappropriate and futile," Felos said in an emergency motion, adding that Terri, "should be put back in hospice and receive comfort care and die in a peaceful setting."
Greer denied that motion, as well.
55 posted on 08/27/2003 5:29 PM EDT by yhwhsman ("Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small..." -Sir Winston Churchill)
Michael Schiavo is using "privacy" as an excuse for denying Terri every contact from the outside world, even flowers. "One sign of the case's nastiness is the Schindlers' complaint that Schiavo limits their visits with their daughter. They also say he has refused to allow doctors to examine her, refused her antibiotics and needed dental work, refused to replace a broken wheelchair so she could be taken outdoors and refused the delivery of flowers from a friend to her room on her birthday."
"Her teeth are fine; she doesn't eat," Michael Schiavo said. "Why take her to a gynecologist? She was supposed to die months ago. I don't want her room filled with flowers from strangers or right-to-life activists. Even though she is vegetative she has a right to privacy."
17 posted on 08/27/2003 10:14 AM EDT by I still care
***
I thought Gov Bush very eloquently made his case here, in this part:
To err on one side is to prolong her existence, perhaps against her wishes, and continue the debate. To err on the other is an irrevocable act that affords no remediation.
18 posted on 08/27/2003 10:14 AM EDT by summer
***
..this judge is going to look really bad if this part is ignored by the judge:
Even discounting these rumors, there are a number of factual disputes > regarding Mrs. Schiavo's medical condition, past and current care and > therapy, and her prognosis. Given the contradictory positions of her > guardian and other family members
21 posted on 08/27/2003 10:17 AM EDT by summer
*** HE SHOULD HAVE OR COULD HAVE HONORED GOV. BUSH'S REQUEST TO ASSIGN A GUARDIAN AD LITEM to represent Terri's interest instead of once again, taking the side of the husband. Judge Greer is from the Sixth Circuit Court, Pinellas County. That is one thing that floors me .. This Judge should have long ago appointed an independent Guardian Ad Litem and not left her husband as her sole guardian .. especially since there are questions about her husband with abuse and the fractured bones that were reveled in xrays of Terry. Everything I have read .. this Judge seems hell bent on having her killed 73 posted on 08/28/2003 2:45 AM EDT by Mo1 (http://www.favewavs.com/wavs/cartoons/spdemocrats.wav) *** I know that Mr. Schiavo has tried to ban Terri's mother and family and priest from seeing her. 27 posted on 08/26/2003 7:34 PM EDT by hocndoc (Choice is the # 1 killer in the US) *** Judge Greer has been with the husband since day one. A guardian ad litem would have been fair for Terri and her parents. Her parents love her but they are treated as the enemy. I'm ashamed this is happening in Pinellas County. 31 posted on 08/26/2003 7:41 PM EDT by floriduh voter
Judge Greer will not appoint a guardian ad litem. I have phone numbers from the phone book for the Clearwater Courthouse and all the guardianship phone numbers. He husband held a presser today and was very flippant about Jeb's letter and called the emailers a "bunch of right to lifers." Hubby is looking a little nervous but with a pal like Judge Greer who is no Judge Moore, Terri has until the September 11 hearing to decide the date her starvation begins. Here are the phone numbers: courthouse - 727-464-3000, guardianship numbers: 727-582-7563, 727-582-7771, and 727-464-8700. We can at least call as friends of Terri and voice our concerns. 25 posted on 08/26/2003 7:34 PM EDT by floriduh voter Freepers, please call the Juducial Qualification Commission regarding Judge Greer: 1-850-488-1581. *** Contact friends, thank those have been fighting on Terri's behalf, including Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, CNS News.com, WND, and Bill O'Reilly. *** Terri Schindler Schiavo's website - background and news updates: www.terrisfight.org *** 8 Terri Schiavo's website Media Contacts Governor Jeb Bush (R) The Honorable(?) George W. Greer Attorney General Charlie Crist
But, I don't know how a court could prevent doctors from ordering therapy, speach therapy (which is often actually swallowing therapy) and most especially oral nutrition.
Office of The Governor
Florida Capitol Building, PL-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
(850) 488-7146
(850) 488-4441
jeb.bush@myflorida.com
6th Judicial Circuit
315 Court Street, Room 484
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3933
ggreer@co.pinellas.fl.us
Office of Attorney General
State of Florida
The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1050
(850) 487-1963
Fax: (850) 487-2564
ag@oag.state.fl.us
Seems like hospices, something we used to think was a great development, are now becoming the very outlet for the evil.
"The practice of enrolling chronically disabled patients into hospice endangers all disabled citizens of the United States and directly violates their Constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
It doesn't seem to be at all unusual now to put people who are disabled into hospices. Terri is far from unique in this regard.
Has a lot of rules about hospice care..
Are we seeing the budding of a domestic Bush doctrine inveigled on America by the brother to the president? I'll be watching very closely! I bet a large number of fellow Americans would be interested in this trend, if that's what we've discovered, fellow Freepers.
True. They are not even bothered by the fact that they often contradict themselves as they switch from one line of argument to another while discussing an important issue.
They will say whatever works at the moment.
That's right. Evil is usually dishonest, imo.
"Katrina says Jason is still considered a "comfort care" patient, which means Jason isn't receiving any rehabilitative care to improve his condition.
"I wonder at what point, if any, he will be considered a disabled person that is fighting to live, and actually be moved into a regular room, or even better, a different facility," Katrina said.
"It's so sad to think that, as a society, if you remove the ventilator to end someone's life and they still continue to live, that the facilities still do not have to provide any care or therapy for these patients, they are just left to lay in a bed off to itself where the nurses don't have to check on them on a regular basis," Katrina added.
Should Jason develop an infection, doctors are not required to treat it."
They no longer need to set these kinds of precedents.
Michael J Fox is probably too far-gone these days to consider as a possibility...but it did occur to me.
Excellent point! Thanks. It is primarily the judicial system, then, setting our moral standards.
In post 2538, pc93, without a reference, writes, "....Judge Lazzara took no action on Sept. 2 even after hearing all the facts....he now wants [the pleadings to be re-drawn to] be heard in 10 or 12 days.
On another Terri thread titled, Federal Judge Kills Bid To BAr Schiavo Ruling the lead article, written on 3 Sept, states, "....Lazzara said he doubted the Schindlers' had much chance of prevailing with the lawsuit they filed Saturday and told Ferrara to file an amended version within 10 days. He gave Felos 10 additional days to respond before another hearing can be held in federal court."
On Saturday, 13 Sept. I wrote in post 3594 about an AP story carried by WTSP, "Emergency hearing scheduled for Tuesday in Schiavo case". Terri's video is attached to the story for reader viewing. . The story says, "[Judge Richard Lazzara] has scheduled an emergency hearing for Tuesday ....". In that same post, I comment, "It's unfortunate at best that there's no mention of the Monday or Tuesday filings on terrisfight.org. " Further noting that the Terri website 'Timeline' only reflects actions "....through June of this year."
There is no further referenced comment on this thread about Judge Lazzara.
On 17 Sept I wrote in post 4503:
"Terri's webmaster has removed any reference to the filing by the American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc. in Terri's behalf.
"Why??????????
"The case was assigned to Judge Lazzara. There was, according to the media, a hearing set for this past Tuesday.
"All of the Terri threads are silent on the validity of the media story, and void of any action by Lazzara.
What gives???? Did the ACLA pull out of the picture? Was the media story bogus? Who is yanking who's string?"
In post 4509 I add, "....what happened to Christopher Ferrara????? Why is there no comment about his appearing before Judge Lazzara this past Tuesday??? Did that actually happen????"
In post 4517 I took exception to the censorship of the Terri website relative to court filings that had deleted pertaining to the Lazzara hearing.
Deo volente raises the same question in post 4678.
In post 4752, you, freeparoundtheclock muse, "....If the Amended Motion is detailed as per J. Lazzara's Order, I believe he will carefully read it before considering whether Terri's case falls under his jurisdiction."
I asked, "....Do you have access to the 'order' freeparoundtheclock? If so would you please post it. I am curious about the date it was signed. See post 4772.
In post 4825 you write, "I don't have J. Lazzara's Order. It basically ordered Terri's attorneys to go back to the drawing board and file a more complete Emergency Motion.". In post 4825, you conclude, "I imagine J. Lazzara signed the Order immediately after the hearing they had in Tampa early last week. It's on this thread near the middle maybe.
There is no Lazzara "....Order...." on this thread. and Terri closest and dearest supporters controlling terrisfight. org sure as hell ain't any help - not with a response like, "When it's time, it will all be up there."
Now the mysteries are oozing forth not from the governor who's giving his backside to Florida's sentence of death for Terri; not from Terri's 'husband' or his legal counsel.
No. The surprise is the bottleneck is on our side of the line!!!
This mystery swirls from within the team given responsibility for assuring that Terri lives a full life, as God would have it.
The infamous and elusive "Order" penned by Judge Lazzara is not available here, or on terrisfight.org.
Further, the amended complaint drafted by (?????) had to have been already filed in the federal court to allow Felos to draft his response, and we all know that unless there's a court order sealing that filing from public view, court filings are public documents - open to anyone with time to read them.
But Terri's public is being given the bum's rush.......by Terri's team. Cute.
NOT.
How The Courts Allowed Euthanasia
by Arjan Schippers, 23 July 2001
Euthanasia has been openly practiced in the Netherlands, as courts have always been very sensitive to the general mood in society and therefore very hesitant to send doctors to jail for granting patients' wishes to die. Case law on the due care requirements gradually evolved through a series of landmark rulings.
It all started in 1973 when the Leeuwarden criminal court sentenced a doctor to only a one week suspended sentence, for administering a lethal dose of morphine to her terminally ill mother. She had repeatedly asked her daughter to put an end to her life. It was the first court case where a number of requirements were summed up: the patient had to be terminally ill, suffer unbearably and request to die.
Force Majeure
The next landmark ruling came in 1983, when the Dutch Supreme Court overturned a conviction. The doctor had terminated the life of a 95-year-old woman who had been unable to eat or drink and had requested euthanasia. A lower court had convicted him because the woman suffered from a chronic, and not a terminal, illness. But the Supreme Court agreed that the doctor faced a conflict between his duty to preserve life and his duty to alleviate suffering. It allowed him to invoke force majeure.
Psychological
In 1991 the famous Chabot case implicitly included psychological suffering as a valid ground for euthanasia. The psychiatrist Chabot had assisted a 50-year-old woman in committing suicide. The woman suffered from severe depression, and after the death of her two sons and the break-up of her marriage she did not want to live any longer. Dr. Chabot invoked force majeure. This was not granted, because none of the colleagues that Dr. Chabot had consulted had actually examined the woman. But the Court also held that invoking force majeure could be allowed in cases where the suffering is purely psychological.
In 1995 a nurse was handed a suspended prison sentence of two months for terminating the life of a friend who suffered from aids. She had consulted a doctor who had supplied her with the means. The court ruled that only doctors could perform euthanasia.
Babies
In that same year the Amsterdam Court ruled in a case concerning a patient who was not able to express a wish to die. The Court acquitted a gynaecologist who had administered a lethal injection to a three-day old baby suffering from spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The baby was in extreme pain and was expected to live no longer than six months. The parents had requested euthanasia. The gynaecologist successfully invoked force majeure.
In 2000 a doctor was acquitted after he had assisted an 86-year-old man in committing suicide. The patient, former senator Edward Brongersma, was simply tired of life. The court ruled the doctor had acted with caution.
So the question then becomes, is there any rational course of action that is effective against this evil? I would really like to see discussion on this here.
In my darkest hours I can read, for instance, that
- a governor has already intervened in a case like Terri's and it did no good.
- huge masses of protestors have already protested these kinds of cases, and it did no good.
- families have already fought in court to stop legislation and it did only marginal good.
- and finally the media has been far, far, more involved in past cases, like those of Hugh Finn and Christine Busalacchi, Nancy Cruzan, and it did no good.
So in times like these, I wonder what good it does to sit here and write about sending emails to Jeb, or to the media, or trying to protest in any way, actually.
I am not trying to offend anyone, but what good are we really doing here? Myself and my own emails included.
Everything we talk about here has been done, and in much greater numbers than ours. It is actually incredible, I think, that Jeb went as far as he did by sending that letter.
This is a genuine attempt to ask people what we can really do here. We're going to have to be radical in our thinking or try something that has not been done already. We need to break from the past, imo, because none of the things I mentioned above made one bit of difference in keeping the patients alive.
I mean we would need about 5,000 people to descend on the courthouse, perhaps, or hospice. And even that may not matter. We need a really earthshaking event or we may as well just start praying all day long.
Because if we are going to be honest with ourselves, the perversion and evil in this case is nothing new. I don't honestly think anyone cares at all whether the neuro was referred by Felos because they were both Greek atheists, and I don't think proving it would matter to Greer at all. Or perhaps to any other judge. Just to name one example. Sure it is great for us to try to understand the evil we are facing, no question there.
But I already know that AHEPA is evil in nature, for example. Now what?
Pegita has hit the nail on the head. It is the judicial system holding the power. What can we do about that, short of advocating illegal actions. I don't know. But maybe it is helpful to begin by pinning this down somewhat and acknowledging what has not worked in the past.
Whatever is good to do, that's what we do. All that each one has done adds up ... it means Terri has a wider range of support and her story has been before the viewer/reader in greater number and her parents know that other people care and her attorneys are encouraged to keep trying and all your research has been viewed by those who don't step forward to identify themselves and the halls of justice know what's going on.
There HAS been tremendous progress ... but only God knows if Terri will be spared. "A broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise ..." Psalm 51:17 ... Bathe everything in prayer.
One of our FReepers on another thread remarked that a baby cries incessantly when hungry ... think of that ... a baby, not even saying a word, counters the "idea" that starvation and dehydration are humane. Seems to me that this is perfect to translate into famous FReeper signs; seems to me this is perfect ... a gathering of moms and howling babies before the courthouse ...
May the Lord give wisdom and strength ...
Pegita
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