..........................
According to today’s Miami Herald, Jeb Bush ordered state cops to grab Terri Schiavo at a point during the judicial proceedings at which, due to Florida’s automatic stay law, such a move would arguably have been if not legal at least not in direct violation of a court order. The automatic stay law suspends a judge’s order when the state appeals it. (Judge Greer reimposed his order within a few hours.)
Local cops apparently didn’t get the word, or didn’t want to go along with the sneaky move, and were prepared to stand off the state cops.
Participants in the high-stakes test of wills, who spoke with The Herald on the condition of anonymity, said they believed the standoff could ultimately have led to a constitutional crisis and a confrontation between dueling lawmen.
“There were two sets of law enforcement officers facing off, waiting for the other to blink,” said one official with knowledge of Thursday morning’s activities.
In jest, one official said local police discussed “whether we had enough officers to hold off the National Guard.”
OK. We dodged that bullet. But kindly remind me how many microns separate us from banana republics with warring paramilitary forces.
Schiavo Case Almost Led to State Cop v. Local Cop Showdown
8mm
Two years ago today was Holy Saturday. There was a large cross laying on the ground, just the Cross, not the Crucifix. A group of Protestants had made a place for it, dug a temporary hole so the nearly full size Cross could stand. I found it laying on the ground that Saturday morning and my friend and I carried it back to where it is to be propped up. The hole was gone. Cops descended upon us and warned us not to try to set it up again.
We decided then to just prop it up on the ground and hold it. It was heavy so difficult to prop up over time, but volunteers crowded around and propped it up and held it the rest of the time, the empty Cross.
That was a completely bogus report. I talked to LEOs on the scene, in fact with the man in charge, and asked him explicitly if there was any truth to it. He laughed at the idea, and assured me that if any representative of the Governor showed up with a simple order from the Governor, they would comply immediately and gladly.