BITS & BRIEFS
George J. Felos was re-elected to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, Inc. Our Hospice is open to serve all dying people in Pinellas County B regardless of the person=s race, age, faith, or financial resources.
Then from terrisfight.org -
May 1998, Michael Schiavo hires attorney George Felos to petition the court to have Terri’s feeding terminated. Subsequently, the court has permitted Michael Schiavo to withdraw money from Terri’s medical fund to reimburse his legal expenses in his efforts to have Terri die.
So, we know that George Felos was re-elected to the Hospice Chair in Dec of 97. In order to avoid a future conflict (Terri was not yet at Suncoast), he would have had to resign before May of 98, when he began representing Schiavo.
Terri was moved to Suncoast 4/10/2000. Although he could have remained a member (all the chairs I have found remained members following their terms), Felos was not chairman then - C. Guy Hancock was.
But IMO - don't know ethical guidelines - just the fact that Felos was EVER on the board of the hospice should constitute a conflict of interest.
To rehash some other relavent tidbits - Judge Greer was a county commissioner from 1984-92. Also a county commissioner at the same time (1980-98) - Barbara Sheen Todd - hospice board member according to this link.
Outgoing chairman, sometime over the past few months (hospice website is infuriating for its lack of dates on anything!) is Martha Lenderman (chair for 2 years), sister of Judge John Lenderman, serves on the bench in Family Law Division with Judge Greer.
Making assumption here - chair terms are 2 years, evidenced by outgoing Lenderman and her predecessor Hancock - each served 2 years. This takes us back to approximately summer/fall of 99 - did Felos serve out his entire term as chair from fall of 97-fall of 99?
I found nothing online about his resignation or the predecessor to Hancock.
I know you (FV) said Greer was a board member in the past also, but I can't find anything on that - do you have a link?
Regardless, these simple connections are interesting enough I think. And that's just scratching the surface of what has been gathered on this thread.
Anyone looked at this yet? Question - the settlement was to be held in trust for Terri, correct? If so, who is considered the lawyer overseeing the trust? I assume it is whoever is representing Schiavo. Or is it Greer? Regardless, the trust lawyer has to abide by strict rules and accountings - above link defines them specifically and also lists reasons for investigation by FL Bar.
I know trust accounting (or lack thereof) has been mentioned on this thread before, and maybe it is the way to go re ethics violations - Felos' handling of the trust as well as Greer's unbelievable allowance of the money to be used for legal fees.
Example - this excerpt - b) Application of Trust Funds or Property to Specific Purpose. Money or other property entrusted to an attorney for a specific purpose, including advances for fees, costs, and expenses, is held in trust and must be applied only to that purpose. Money and other property of clients coming into the hands of an attorney are not subject to counterclaim or setoff for attorney’s fees, and a refusal to account for and deliver over such property upon demand shall be deemed a conversion.
I looked through the site somewhat to hopefully find a red flag that relates to Felos' associations with the Hospice and/or Greer's 1 degree of separation, but nothing struck me. No doubt an actual lawyer would have better luck wading through than I.
George Felos used to be a State Attorney in Pinellas. I think Felos and Greer's paths crossed a long time ago. Pinellas is a metropolitan area now but it wasn't in the seventies or eighties.