Terri Schiavo’s Feeding Tube Could be Removed in Two Weeks, Parents Fight 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 10, 2005
Clearwater, FL (LifeNews.com) — The latest ruling in the battle over Terri Schiavo’s life could allow her estranged husband Michael to ask doctors to remove her feeding tube in two weeks, but her parents are hoping further legal efforts will move that date back.
Last Friday, a Florida appeals court rejected a legal argument Bob and Mary Schindler filed saying starving Terri to death would violate her religious liberties. As a Catholic, the Schindlers contend Terri would not want to have her life ended.
With the court ruling, George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is Michael ‘s attorney, says he believes Terri’s feeding tube can be removed for a third and final time when the 2nd District Court of Appeal certifies its decision February 22.
"Assuming the mandate does issue on Feb. 22, then the last stay in place automatically ends and Mr. Schiavo is authorized to direct the removal of the artificial life support," Felos told the Associated Press.
Terri, who is not on artificial life support and breathes on her own, will only have her feeding tube removed "if no further stays are issued," Barbara Weller, an attorney for the Schindlers, tells LifeNews.com.
"We expect that further stays will be issued since there are still important legal issues to be determined, including Terr’s right to the due process of law," Weller added.
She told LifeNews.com that the Schindlers are also fighting to show that Terri was never "represented by an attorney when her life was being held in the balance by the court."
Circuit Court Judge George Greer will rule on Friday whether to allow a motion regarding that concern to be heard. If he allows the argument to move forward, he could issue another stay preventing removal of the feeding tube beyond February.
Weller says the Schindlers will ask for another stay if Judge Greer rules against them while they appeal any decision against the motion regarding an attorney for their daughter.
Meanwhile, the Schindlers will take their religious liberties argument to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Florida appeals court decision was unwritten which prevented them from appealing it to Florida’s top court.
Related web sites:
Terri Schiavo’s parents – https://www.terrisfight.org
