Michael Schiavo’s Attorney’s Ex-Wife Criticized on Terri’s Autopsy 
Email this article
Printer friendly page
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 16, 2005
Clearwater, FL (LifeNews.com) — The woman who is the former wife of the lead attorney for Michael Schiavo is drawing criticism for wanting to weigh in on analyzing Terri Schiavo’s autopsy report once county officials make it public. Supporters of Terri’s family say she is trying to manipulate the situation.
Florida attorney Constance d’Angelis is the ex-wife of George Felos, the euthanasia advocate who is the top attorney for Terri’s estranged husband Michael.
On Friday, d’Angelis sent out a press release saying she was available to the media to comment on the autopsy.
"Upon the release of the autopsy report, she can analyze the results and weigh in on the important matters of how–by reason, not emotion–the ‘persistent vegetative state’ diagnosis of Terri Schiavo was arrived at, and why," the release read.
Pamela Hennessy, who represents the foundation Terri’s parents put together to aide their legal battle to save their daughter, says d’Angelis is unqualified to analyze the autopsy results.
Hennessy said she thought d’Angelis was attempting to "capitalize on this tragic situation or preparing to support her former husband’s contentions on a subject matter she is wholly unqualified to remark on."
"The former Mrs. Felos is not a doctor, a surgeon, a pathologist or even an orderly," Hennessy added. "Medical analysis is best left to medical practitioners and not lawyers."
Constance d’Angelis is only licensed as an attorney and as a massage therapist, Hennesy indicated.
During the guardianship proceedings on behalf of Michael Schiavo earlier in the case, d’Angelis served as Felos’ co-counsel.
She assisted Felos in filing Michael’s first petition to remove Terri’s "artificial life support," in 1998 and brought CT scans and other medical data to support the claim Terri was in a so-called persistent vegetative state.
Terri was never on any artificial life support or breathing apparatus. She died on March 31 after thirteen days of a painful death via starvation and dehydration.
