ROUGH TIMELINE AND DECISIONS
I encourage anyone interested in this case to read the judicial decisions that have been entered. Most informative, from a factual point of view, are Judge Greer's orders and the Second District's decisions. The December 2003 guardian ad litem report to Governor Bush provides perhaps the most detailed factual chronology available.
| December 1963… | Terri's birth date |
| November 1984… | Terri & Michael marry |
| February 1990… | Terri suffers cardiac arrest and a severe loss of oxygen to her brain |
| May 1990… | Terri leaves hospital and is brought to a rehabiliation center for aggressive therapy |
| July 1990… | Terri is brought to the home where her husband and parents live; after a few weeks, she is brought back to the rehabilitation center |
| November 1990… | Terri is taken to California for experimental therapies |
| January 1991… | Terri is returned to Florida and placed at a rehabilitation center in Brandon |
| July 1991… | Terri is transfered to a skilled nursing facility where she receives aggressive physical therapy and speech therapy |
| May 1992… | Michael and the Schindlers stop living together |
| January 1993… | Michael recovers $1 million settlement for medical malpractice claim involving Terri's care; jury had ruled in Michael's favor on allegations Terri's doctors failed to diagnose her bulimia, which led to her heart failure; case settled while on appeal |
| March 1994… | Terri is transferred to a Largo nursing home |
| May 1998… | Michael files petition for court to determine whether Terri's feeding tube should be removed; Michael takes position that Terri would chose to remove the tube; Terri's parents take position that Terri would chose not to remove the tube |
| February 2000… | Following trial, Judge Greer rules that clear and convincing evidence shows Terri would chose not to receive life-prolonging medical care under her current circumstances (i.e., that she would chose to have the tube removed) [READ] |
| April 2000… | Terri is transferred to a Hospice facility |
| January 2001… | Second District Court of Appeal affirms the trial court's decision regarding Terri's wishes [READ] |
| April 23, 2001… | Florida Supreme Court denies review of the Second District's decision [READ] |
| April 23 or 24, 2001… | Trial court orders feeding tube removed |
| April 24, 2001… | Terri's feeding tube is removed |
| April 26, 2001… | Terri's parents file motion asserting they have new evidence regarding Terri's wishes |
| April 26, 2001… | Trial court denies Terri's parents' motion as untimely |
| April 26, 2001… | Terri's parents file new legal action against Michael Schiavo and request that the removal of Terri's feeding tube be enjoined; the case is randomly assigned to Judge Quesada |
| April 26, 2001… | Judge Quesada grants the temporary injunction, orders Terri's feeding tube restored |
| July 2001… | Second District rules that Judge Greer erred in denying the motion alleging new evidence and, in essence, orders the trial court to consider whether new circumstances make enforcement of the original order inequitable; Second District also reverses the temporary injunction and orders dismissal of much of the new action filed before Judge Quesada [READ] |
| (uncertain)… | Terri's parents detail their reasons why enforcement is inequitable: (1) new witnesses have new information regarding Terri's wishes, and (2) new medical treatment could sufficiently restore Terri's cognitive functioning such that Terri would decide that, under those circumstances, she would continue life-prolonging measures; Terri's parents also move to disqualify Judge Greer |
| (uncertain)… | Trial court denies both motions as insufficient |
| October 2001… | Second District affirms the denial of the motion to disqualify and the motion regarding the new witnesses; the appellate court reverses the order with regard to potential new medical treatments and orders a trial on that question with doctors testifying for both sides and a court-appointed independent doctor [READ] |
| March 2002… | Florida Supreme Court denies review of the Second District's decision [READ] |
| October 2002… | Judge Greer holds a trial on the new medical treatment issue, hearing from doctors for both sides and a court-appointed independent doctor; Terri's parents also assert that Terri is not in a persistent vegetative state |
| Schindlers file emergency motion for relief from judgment based on a 1991 bone scan report indicating Terri's body had previously been subjected to trauma | |
| November 22, 2002… | Following trial, Judge Greer denies Schindlers' motion for relief (new medical evidence motion), rules that no new treatment offers sufficient promise of improving Terri's cognitive functioning and that Terri is, in fact, in a persistent vegetative state [READ] |
| November 22, 2002… | On this same day, Judge Greer denies Schindlers' emergency motion related to the 1991 bone scan [READ] |
| June 2003… | Second District affirms the trial court's decision denying Schindlers' motion for relief from judgment [READ] |
| August 2003… | Florida Supreme Court denies review of the Second District's decision [READ] |
| September 2003… | Terri's parents file federal action challenging Florida's laws on life-prolonging procedures as unconstitutional |
| October 10, 2003… | Federal court dismisses Schindlers' case |
| October 15, 2003… | Terri's feeding tube is disconnected |
| October 20, 2003… | Florida House passes a bill to permit the Governor to issue a stay in cases like Terri's and restore her feeding tube |
| October 21, 2003… | Federal court rejects injunction request |
| October 21, 2003… | Florida House and Senate pass a bill known informally as "Terri's Law" to permit the Governor to issue a stay in cases like Terri's and restore her feeding tube [READ]; Governor signs the bill into law and immediately orders a stay; Terri is briefly hospitalized while her feeding tube is restored |
| October 21, 2003… | Michael brings suit against the Governor, asking to enjoin the Governor's stay on grounds "Terri's Law" is unconstitutional; Judge Baird rejects Michael's request for an immediate injunction, allowing the tube to be restored, and requests briefs on the constitutional arguments involving the new law |
| November 7, 2003… | Judge Baird rejects Governor's motion to dismiss Michael's suit and have case litigated in Tallahassee |
| November 20, 2003… | Judge Baird rejects Governor's request for the judge to recuse himself |
| December 1, 2003… | Guardian ad litem appointed under "Terri's Law" to advise Governor submits report to Governor [READ] |
| December 10, 2003… | Second District rejects Governor's effort to have Judge Baird disqualified |
| April 2004… | Second District affirms Judge Baird's decision denying Governor's motion to dismiss and have case litigated in Tallahassee [READ] |
| May 2004… | Judge Baird declares "Terri's Law" unconstitutional on numerous grounds [READ] |
| June 2004… | Second District certifies "Terri's Law" case directly to the Florida Supreme Court |
| July 2004… | Schindlers file new motion for relief from judgment based on Pope John Paul II speech |
| September 2004… | Florida Supreme Court affirms Judge Baird's ruling that "Terri's Law" is unconstitutional [READ] |
| October 2004… | Judge Greer denies Schindlers' most recent motion for relief from judgment (motion based on Pope John Paul II speech) [READ] |
| December 1, 2004… | Governor asks U.S. Supreme Court to review Florida Supreme Court's decision declaring "Terri's Law" unconstitutional |
| December 29, 2004… | Second District affirms (without written opinion) Judge Greer's ruling denying Schindlers' most recent motion for relief from judgment |
| January 6, 2005… | Schindlers file new motion for relief from judgment, alleging Terri never had her own attorney, that the trial court impermissibly applied the law retroactively, and that the original trial on Terri's wishes violated separation of powers principles |
| January 24, 2005… | U.S. Supreme Court declines review in "Terri's Law" case |
| February 11, 2005… | Judge Greer denies Schindlers' latest motion for relief from judgment [READ] |
This is not a factual statement.
Can A Senate Committee compel Michael to give a full accounting what happened the night of the incident that caused Terri's injury?
Why is it from a factual point of view? Because her "husband" convinced the judge to kill her?
I have seen the tapes when she was
being tested. There was no reactions
to write home about.