by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 1, 2004
Tallahassee,
FL (LifeNews.com) -- The month-long stay issued by the Florida Supreme
Court in the Terri's Law case has expired and, as expected, the state's
top court isn't renewing it.
However, Terri Schiavo's life is still protected, for the moment, by
a second stay previously issued by a lower court judge in another legal
battle Terri's parents are fighting.
Florida Governor Jeb Bush is waiting for the Supreme Court to determine whether it will hear an appeal of his efforts to uphold Terri's Law, the measure that allowed him to prevent the removal of Terri's feeding tube which would cause a painful two-week starvation death.
The Florida Supreme Court issued a one month stay in the case preventing Terri's estranged husband Michael from euthanizing her while Governor Bush appealed.
Meanwhile, Circuit Court Judge George Greer also issued a stay in the case Terri's parents Bob and Mary Schindler have filed saying killing Terri would violate her religious liberties.
Judge Greer did not agree with the Schindlers' contention that statement from Pope John Paul II, saying removing the tube would constitute "euthanasia by omission," meant Terri's First Amendment religious rights would be violated by euthanizing her.
However, Greer put in place a stay preventing removal of Terri's gastric tube until the Schindlers exhausted all legal appeals.
Robert Schindler, Terri's father, told LifeNews.com he was glad the Greer stay is in place. He said the request for the stay from Greer was necessary because of the short length of the Florida Supreme Court stay.
"The short length of that stay prompted our attorneys to file for an indefinite stay which was granted by Judge Greer," Schindler told LifeNews.com. "That stay is now in effect and will be in force until all legal proceedings have concluded."
Attorneys for Michael Schiavo have asked an appeals court to overturn Greer's stay.
George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is Michael's lead attorney, has said that if the appeals court hears the Schindlers' case, Michael is considering quitting the legal battle.
"Mr. Schiavo is seriously considering just simply not participating in appellate proceedings," Felos told the Springfield Times.
Related web sites:
Terri Schiavo's parents - http://www.terrisfight.org
