Police 'Showdown' Averted ['Team of State Agents Were En Route to Seize Terri']

Miami Herald ^ | Sat, Mar. 26, 2005 | CAROL MARBIN MILLER

[West Coast Conservative]

Hours after a judge ordered that Terri Schiavo was not to be removed from her hospice, a team of state agents were en route to seize her and have her feeding tube reinserted -- but they stopped short when local police told them they would enforce the judge's order, The Herald has learned.

Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told police in Pinellas Park, the small town where Schiavo lies at Hospice Woodside, on Thursday that they were on the way to take her to a hospital to resume her feeding.

For a brief period, local police, who have officers at the hospice to keep protesters out, prepared for what sources called ``a showdown.''

In the end, the squad from the FDLE and the Department of Children & Families backed down, apparently concerned about confronting local police outside the hospice.

''We told them that unless they had the judge with them when they came, they were not going to get in,'' said a source with the local police.

''The FDLE called to say they were en route to the scene,'' said an official with the city police who requested anonymity. ``When the sheriff's department and our department told them they could not enforce their order, they backed off.''

The incident,known only to a few and related to The Herald by three different sources involved in Thursday's events, underscores the intense emotion and murky legal terrain that the Schiavo case has created. It also shows that agencies answering directly to Gov. Jeb Bush had planned to use a wrinkle in Florida law that would have allowed them to legally get around the judge's order. The exception in the law allows public agencies to freeze a judge's order whenever an agency appeals it.

[sweetliberty]

"That may actually be true in this one case, but what kind of precedent does that set for the future?"

Perhaps one that lets the judiciary know in no uncertain terms that the people have had enough of their tyranny and are not going to take it any more. I'm not saying that I'm in favor of violent conflict, but if we back up and redraw our line in the sand every time they impose their will upon us instead of defending the one already drawn, proving time and time again that we are never actually going to stand up and fight them no matter how outrageous their demands become, then what makes you think they will avoid pressing even furthur? What is their deterrent?

That's about as useful as putting an out of control child in "time out" and threatening to spank his butt, when he knows good and well you're never going to do it. A spanking may not be the first, or preferred, line of defense in dealing with unruly children, but it certainly needs to be a tool in the arsenal and they need to know that sometimes it will be used. Once their attention is recaptured, they will become more receptive to less drastic measures, but as long as their escalating tantrums are being rewarded they will remain in control.

We seem to keep forgetting that our freedom was purchased with blood, not words.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots." (Thomas Jefferson)

[MTOrlando]

Well then, the problem is with that Kangaroo Supreme Court in Florida ... are they the same clowns that tried to engineer a Gore recount victory?

Yes, they are a part of the problem. And Governor Bush put a couple new appointees on the state supreme court. Apparently Republican judicial appointments might not be the answer.

Have you figured out that since these judges are *elected*,

No, they are NOT elected. They are appointed, and thein either "Retained" or "Not Retained" every six years.

They are appointed by the governor from a list of names submitted to him by the Judicial Nominating Commission, which is also selected by the governor.

Four of the members of the commission must be selected from a list provided by the Florida Bar. The inmates are running the asylum.

Florida voters are ultimitely empowered/responsible for this situation?

How can you blame the voters?! We've delivered practically every statewide elected office - the governor, cabinet, most recent US Senator, a US House delegation stacked with (R)'s, and given the (R)'s control of both houses of the state legislature. And we reelected GWB by a healthy margain which was well beyond challenge this time. What more would you expect of the voters in Florida?

[carl in alaska]

Good points. It's a close call whether an armed confrontation would be better than the horrible spectacle that is happening now. I just prefer avoiding armed conflict and then responding by taking down Greer and a few other judges, and then fixing the laws.

[jackibutterfly]

"Then, too, the current sheriff is most likely NOT stupping Mikey's girlfriend's mother!"

Of course not, you fool. SHE'S DEAD!!! IF you'd check out your facts, you'd have know that!

[jackibutterfly]

know = known

[sweetliberty]

"It is a judicial murder, and the judge violated the law by threatening armed force against the executive branch enforcing the law, which is its prerogative."

It's nice to see that there are some who get it.

"I believe that Judge Greer should be arrested for interference with law enforcement."

I agree.

[jackibutterfly]

"Then, too, the current sheriff is most likely NOT stupping Mikey's girlfriend's mother!" Of course not, you fool. SHE'S DEAD!!! IF you'd check out your facts, you'd have know that!"

Plus, that's a REALLY disgusting thing to say.!

[muawiyah]

OK, she's dead. But that's not the sort of thing that would stop that particular crowd.

[Clara Lou]

Your antinomianism is wasted here
And your perception that I am antinomianist is an error on your part. You and farmer18th come from the same strange planet, don't you?

[muawiyah]

BTW, we need a URL on that particular death.

[sweetliberty]

"You musta missed on another thread where a poster suggested "we" make sure that we get ahold of her corpse for an autopsy before Michael can cremate her"

Aren't you forgetting that God Greer ordered immendiate cremation? I mean, once a judge has spoken, it's gospel, right? < /sarcasm >

[muawiyah]

Only an antinomianist would say that Jesus was into forgiving not visitng wrath, particularly on unborn generations.

There was his wrath at the money changers, and then there was the tree that didn't bear fruit.

Jesus is definitely going to cut you guys off.

[sweetliberty]

"Florida has been in a lot of headlines with the word constitutional crisis in it lately though."

They're in a 3-way race with California and Massachusetts to see which one can nullify the Constitution first.

[sweetliberty]

"Did you know that DCF can take children and never tell their parents where they are? Who would have thunk it."

That is not the case here. I mean, they aren't usually given an address, for good reason, but by law, DCFS MUST norify parents that their children have been taken into foster care, and why, AND be able to justify it to a judge withing 72 hours.

[northernlightsII]

Agreed God's rule will come but not by our hands.

[TheCrusader]

"Just like Bill Clinton with Elian Gonsalez. And we all LOVED it when Clinton did that!"

Apples and oranges. Jeb Bush would be trying to save the life of an innocent, disabled woman; conversely, Elian Gonzales' life was being destroyed by Bill Clinton, by sending him back to a Communist dictatorship and a country steeped in poverty and civil oppression. But I give Clinton some credit, at least he had the ba!!s to do it.

[rwfromkansas]

that's real mature

[northernlightsII]

He definitely was,when Terri was moved there and stayed on during part of this case but then resigned.I understand that Greer's wife was on the board at one time also.