Terri Schiavo case

Theresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo (December 3, 1963 – March 31, 2005) was a woman from St. Petersburg, Florida whose unusual medical and family circumstances and attendant legal battles fueled intense media attention and led to several high-profile court decisions and involvement by prominent politicians and interest groups.

Schiavo experienced cardiac arrest and collapsed in her home in early 1990, incurring massive brain damage; she remained in a coma for ten weeks. Within three years, she was diagnosed by three neurologists to be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) with little chance of recovery.

In 1998, Schiavo's husband and legal guardian Michael petitioned the courts to allow removal of the gastric feeding tube keeping Schiavo alive. Her parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, opposed this petition. The courts found that Michael Schiavo had made "credible and reliable" statements that she wouldn't want to be kept "on a machine" with no hope of improvement. In 2002, the Schindlers challenged the PVS diagnosis. Four neurologists and one radiologist examined Schiavo, but the courts consistently agreed Schiavo was PVS and sided with Michael as to the legality of the feeding tube being removed, and the issue eventually acquired a political dimension.

By March 2005, the legal history around the Schiavo case included fourteen appeals and innumerable motions, petitions, and hearings in the Florida courts; five suits in Federal District Court; Florida legislation(Terri’s Law) struck down by the Florida Supreme Court; a subpoena by a congressional committee in an attempt to qualify Schiavo for "witness protection"; federal legislation (Palm Sunday Compromise); and four denials from the United States Supreme Court, among others.^[1] The courts found that Schiavo was in a PVS with no hope for recovery and would want to discontinue life support.

Schiavo's feeding tube was removed a third and final time on March 18, 2005. She died on March 31, 2005.

Early life

Schiavo grew up in the Huntingdon Valley area of Lower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, as the eldest of three children of Robert and Mary Schindler. Her younger siblings are Robert Jr. (Bobby) and Suzanne Vitadamo.

By her senior year in high school, Schiavo was overweight, with a height of 5 feet, 3 inches (160 cm) and a weight of around 200 pounds (91 kg). She went on a NutriSystem diet and lost about 55 pounds (25 kg).^[2] She may have developed an eating disorder around this time in order to cope with her weight problem.^[3] In 1981, she graduated from Archbishop Wood Catholic High School, a private school in nearby Warminster.

She met Michael Schiavo in 1982 in a sociology class at Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania, where they were both students. He was her first boyfriend. After dating for five months, the couple became engaged. They were married on November 10, 1984, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Southampton, Pennsylvania. They moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, in April 1986. Schiavo's parents also moved to St. Petersburg three months later. In Florida, she worked as an insurance claims clerk for the Prudential insurance company, and her husband was a restaurant manager. Schiavo's friends began to have suspicions about her eating habits. After meals out, she would immediately excuse herself to go to the bathroom. Michael Schiavo was aware of her unusual eating patterns, but did not realize their potential danger.^[4]

In 1989, the Schiavos began visiting an obstetrician and receiving fertility services and counseling in the hopes of having a child. At this time her weight had dropped to 120 pounds, and she had stopped menstruating. However, the physician who examined her did not take a complete medical history, which might have indicated an eating disorder.

Initial medical crisis

On the morning of February 25, 1990, at approximately 5:30 a.m. EST, Schiavo experienced cardiac arrest and collapsed in the hallway of the St. Petersburg apartment she shared with her husband. Firefighters and paramedics arriving in response to her husband's 911 call found her face down and unconscious in the hallway outside her bathroom. Attempts were made to resuscitate Schiavo, and she was defibrillated several times while she was transported to the Humana Northside Hospital. There, in order to keep her alive, she was intubated, ventilated, and eventually given a tracheotomy. She remained comatose for two and a half months. When she emerged from the coma, she never exhibited any evidence of higher cortical function. The long period of anoxia she sustained had led to profound brain injury (termed "anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy"); severely damaging those parts of the brain concerned with cognition, perception, and awareness. While initially fed by means of a nasogastric feeding tube, she eventually received a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding tube—inserted through the abdominal wall.

The cause of her cardiac arrest has never been determined. For a time, it was believed that her cardiac arrest had been caused by an imbalance of electrolytes in her blood. On admission to hospital, her serum potassium level was noted to be very low, at 2.0 mEq/L; the normal range for adults is 3.5–5.0 mEq/L. It was speculated that her low potassium level had in turn been caused by an eating disorder: her medical chart contained a note that "she apparently has been trying to keep her weight down with dieting by herself, drinking liquids most of the time during the day and drinking about 10–15 glasses of iced tea." However, there has never been any hard evidence that Schiavo had an eating disorder, and the low potassium could have been a spurious result caused by the intravascular administration of fluids during the attempt to resuscitate her.

Rehabilitation efforts and the malpractice suit

Schiavo came home to her family in September; however, after becoming overwhelmed with her needs, the family sent her back to the College Park facility. In November, Mr. Schiavo took his wife to the University of California, San Francisco for an experimental procedure involving the placement of a thalamic stimulator implant in her brain. The experimental treatment took several months but was unsuccessful. Mr. Schiavo returned to Florida with her in January 1991 and admitted his wife to the Mediplex Rehabilitation Center (specializing in brain injuries) in Bradenton, Florida, often "taking her to parks and public places in hopes of sparking some recovery." There she received 24-hour care. On July 19 1991, Schiavo was transferred to the Sable Palms Skilled Care Facility, where she received neurological testing and regular speech and occupational therapy until 1994.

On emerging from coma some two and a half months after her cardiac arrest, Schiavo entered an unusual state of altered consciousness. She regained a sleep-wake cycle, but never exhibited repeatable and consistent awareness of herself or environment. This peculiar state is a recognized consequence of coma following acute brain injury, and was diagnosed by the physicians taking care of Schiavo as a persistent vegetative state (PVS). Dr. Garcia J. Desousa, a board-certified neurologist in St. Petersburg, Florida, cared for Schiavo during her initial admission to hospital; both he and Dr. Victor Gambone, an internist and Schiavo family physician, independently made the diagnosis within approximately one year after Schiavo's cardiac arrest. Other neurologists—Drs. Jeffery M. Karp, James H. Barnhill, and Thomas H. Harrison—also examined Schiavo over the years and made the same diagnosis; they also shared a very poor opinion about her chances for recovery.

No dissent regarding Schiavo's condition or the PVS diagnosis was raised by any parties at this point.

From 1990 to 1993, Mr. Schiavo and the Schindlers enjoyed an amicable relationship.^[5] The Schindlers even allowed Mr. Schiavo to live rent free in their condominium for several months. During this time, the Schindlers actively encouraged Mr. Schiavo to "get on with his life." He was encouraged by the Schindlers to date, and he introduced his in-law family to women he was dating.^[6] On June 18, 1990, the court appointed Michael Schiavo as his wife's legal guardian; this appointment was not disputed by the Schindlers at the time.

In 1992, Mr. Schiavo, on behalf of his wife and himself, brought a medical malpractice lawsuit against G. Stephen Igel, the obstetrician who had been treating Schiavo for infertility, claiming that his failure to test for an eating disorder had led to her current condition. At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found for the Schiavos and awarded Mrs. Schiavo $1,600,000 in damages and Mr. Schiavo $600,000 for loss of consortium. While on appeal, the case was settled (May 1992) for $700,000 and $300,000, respectively.^[7] The court placed Mrs. Schiavo's award in a trust fund, which was controlled by a third party and covered her medical and legal expenses.

During the malpractice trial, Michael testified that he began studying nursing at St. Petersburg College around 1991. When asked why, he explained:

"Because I enjoy it and I want to learn more how to take care of Terri.... I see myself hopefully finishing school and taking care of my wife. ... I want to bring my wife home. ... I married my wife because I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I'm going to do that."^[8]

Eventually, he became a respiratory therapist and emergency room nurse.

Notable court cases in the Terri Schiavo saga

The Terri Schiavo saga was one of the most well-known court litigation in recent history and has had a lasting impact on the culture of legal, medical, and news media cultures. In addition to having been among the most well known, it was also litigated for many years, in both state and federal court, including litigation of the "Terri's Law" passed by the Florida legislature and the federal "Terri's Law," giving jurisdiction to the federal courts to perform de novo review of the case.

Terri's husband, Michael Schiavo, and her parents, the Schindlers, had a falling-out; Michael claimed the argument arose due to his refusal to share the settlement money with the Schindlers. The Schindlers claim that he failed to honor commitments he had previously made to seek aggressive treatments for his wife's condition.

While the litigants included, primarily, Terri Schiavo herself, her husband, and her immediate family, there were many other participants in this legal saga: Some of Michael Schiavo's family and several former caregivers for Terri offered statements to the court about Terri's alleged wishes and the treatment she was reveiving; the court appointed three guardians ad litem; and, finally, both state and federal courts became involved. There was even the specter of international involvement by the United Nations, but this never materialized, and the only international involvement came in the form of various statements by the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope John Paul II, generally in opposition to the way the American court system handled the affair.

Among the landmark court decisions, those later known as "Schiavo I" through "Schiavo IV" stand out in defining case law standards and legal opinion. Many things were litigated, including, but not limited to, what Terri's wishes were, her chances for improvement or recovery, what medical treatment to give her, and who was most qualified to represent her as guardian.

Government involvement

Both the state and federal government made use of extraordinary measures to support the Schindlers. Earlier, in October of 2003, when the Schindlers' final appeal was exhausted, the Florida Legislature passed "Terri's Law,"^[9] giving Governor Jeb Bush the authority to intervene in the case. Bush immediately ordered the feeding tube reinserted. At the same time, Robert and Mary Schindler, Terri's parents attempted to intervene and participate in the "Terri's Law" case but were denied by Judge W. Douglas Baird, a Circuit Judge in the Florida 6th Circuit, the same circuit as for Judge, George W Greer. They appealed, and, on February 13, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal (2nd DCA) reversed Baird's ruling,^[10] allowing them to participate. On March 17, Baird denied the Schindlers the right to intervene a 2nd time,^[11] and the Schindlers appealed once more, with the court scheduling an oral argument date for June 14.^[12]

On May 5 2004, Baird found "Terri's Law" unconstitutional and struck in down.^[13] Bush appealed this order to the 2nd DCA, but, on May 12, they issued an "Order Relinquishing Case for Entry of Final Judgment and Order to Show Cause Why this Proceeding Should Not be Certified to the Supreme Court As Requiring Immediate Resolution."^[14] (Pgs 6 & 7) The 2nd DCA, in sending it directly to the Florida's Supreme Court, invoked "pass through" jurisdiction.^[15]

The Schindlers obtained the legal services of the conservative American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) nonprofit public interest law firm to represent them in their case; and, on June 14, in an oral argument hearing not covered by any mainstream news media,^[16] the Schindlers once again asked the appeals court for the right to participate in the "Terri's Law" case.^[17] The Schindlers' other attorney, Pat Anderson, was concurrently challenging Michael Schiavo's right to be Terri's guardian, and, on June 16, she made a petition for writ of Quo Warranto, a pleading that asks "by what right" someone acts in an official capacity.^[18] On June 30, the 2nd DCA denied their petition to intervene.^[19] Then, on July 7, the Schindlers again were dealt a setback, when Greer dismissed Anderson's Quo Warranto petition, which he had initially considered April 30 2004.^[20]

The Florida Supreme Court then overturned the law as unconstitutional.^[21] However, following Greer's order on March 18, 2005 to remove the feeding tube, Republicans in the United States Congress subpoenaed both Michael and Terri Schiavo to testify at a congressional hearing.^[22] It is contempt of Congress to prevent or discourage congressional witnesses from testifying.^[23] The purpose of the subpoenas was thus to postpone the feeding tube removal.

Greer opted to ignore the subpoenas, telling congressional attorneys over a conference call that, "I have had no cogent reason why the (congressional) committee should intervene." He also stated that last-minute action by Congress does not invalidate years of court rulings.^[24]^[25] Although Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senator Rick Santorum, and Representative Tom Delay, brought the possibility of sanctioning Greer on charges of contempt of Congress, Congress did not attempt to enforce the subpoenas or take any action against Greer.

Palm Sunday Compromise

Governor Bush and Congressional Republicans anticipated Greer's adverse ruling well before it was delivered and worked on a daily basis to find an alternative means of overturning the legal process by utilizing the authority of the United States Congress.^[26] On March 20 2005, the Senate (with only three members present) passed their version of the resolution, followed by the House of Representatives, which came to be called the "Palm Sunday Compromise" (S-686), transferring jurisdiction of the Schiavo case to the federal courts. The bill passed the House on March 21 at 12:41 a.m. EST. President Bush flew to Washington from his vacation in Texas in order to sign the bill into law at 1:11 a.m. EST. As in the state courts, all of the Schindlers' federal petitions and appeals were denied, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant certiorari, effectively ending the Schindlers' legal options.

At the same time, the so-called Schiavo memo surfaced, causing a political firestorm. The memo was written by Brian Darling, the legal counsel to Florida Republican senator Mel Martinez. It suggested the Schiavo case offered "a great political issue" that would appeal to the party's base (core supporters) and could be used against Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Florida who is up for reelection in 2006, because he'd refused to co-sponsor the bill.^[27]

On March 24 2005, Greer denied a petition for intervention by the Department of Children & Families (DCF) and signed an order forbidding the department from "taking possession of Theresa Marie Schiavo or removing her" from the hospice and directed "each and every and singular sheriff of the state of Florida" to enforce his order. The order was appealed to the 2nd DCA the following day, which resulted in an automatic stay under state law. While the stay was in effect, Florida Department of Law Enforcement personnel prepared to take custody of Terri and transfer her to a local hospital for reinsertion of the feeding tube. Once Greer was made aware of the stay, he ordered it lifted and all parties stood down. Governor Bush decided to obey the court order despite enormous pressure from the political right. If Bush (or the Florida Legislature) had ignored Greer's order by attempting to remove Schiavo from the hospice, a confrontation between the Pinellas Park Police Department and the FDLE agents could have ensued. In jest, one official said local police discussed, "...whether we had enough officers to hold off the National Guard."^[28]

Final stages

On March 26 2005, Bob and Mary Schindler announced their legal options had been exhausted. The next day, Terri was given the Anointing of the Sick ("Last Rites"). In accordance with the Catholic ritual of Viaticum, a drop of consecrated wine was applied to her tongue, but a small piece of the host was unable to be offered as her tongue was too dry. She'd also been given Holy Communion through the feeding tube just before it was removed.

Terri Schiavo died at 9:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 31 2005, with her husband Michael at her side. Her parents, who had been denied access to her during her last hours, went to the hospice to visit her when they were informed she might be approaching death; they arrived half an hour after her death. The Schindler family was allowed into the room after Michael Schiavo had left.^[29]^[30]

Autopsy

Left: Scan of normal 25-year-old's brain; Right: Schiavo's 2002 CT scan at age 38.

After her death, Terri's body was taken to the office of the medical examiner for Pinellas and Pasco counties. The autopsy, led by Dr. Jon Thogmartin, occurred on April 1 2005. Thogmartin also arranged for specialized cardiac and genetic examinations to be made. The official autopsy report^[31] was released on June 15 2005. Examination of Terri’s nervous system revealed extensive injury. The brain itself weighed 615 grams, only half the weight expected for a female of her age, height, and weight.

Microscopic examination revealed extensive damage to numerous brain regions, including the cortex, the thalami, the basal nuclei, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the midbrain. The neuropathologic changes in her brain were precisely of the type seen in patients who enter a PVS following cardiac arrest. Throughout the cerebral cortex, the large pyramidal neurons that comprise some 70% of cortical cells—critical to the functioning of the cortex—were completely lost. The pattern of damage to the cortex, with injury tending to worsen from the front of the cortex to the back, is also typical. There was marked damage to important relay circuits deep in the brain (the thalami)—another common pathologic hallmark of PVS. The damage was, in the words of Thogmartin, "irreversible, and no amount of therapy or treatment would have regenerated the massive loss of neurons."^[32] However, the intensely controversial nature of Terri Schiavo's final years was understood by the medical examiners, as seen by the care with which they worded their report: Dr. Stephen J. Nelson, M.D., P.A., cautioned that "[n]europathologic examination alone of the decedent’s brain – or any brain for that matter – cannot prove or disprove a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious state."^[33] The vegetative state is a behaviorally defined syndrome of complete unawareness, to self and to environment, that occurs in a person who nevertheless experiences wakefulness. As the condition is defined in clinical terms, it can therefore only be diagnosed in persons who, at some point, are shown to meet those clinical terms. Ancillary investigations, such as CT scans, MRI, EEGs, and lately fMRI and PET scanning, may only provide support for the clinical impression—as might the pathologic findings, after death. In the case of Terri Schiavo, seven of the eight neurologists who examined her in her last years stated that she met the clinical criteria for PVS; the serial CT scans, EEGs, the one MRI, and finally, the pathologic findings, were consistent with that diagnosis.

The cause of the cardiac arrest which felled Terri 15 years before she died has never been determined. Aside from a localized, healed inflammation, the cardiac pathologist who studied Schiavo's heart found it and the coronary vessels to be healthy. Although it was widely speculated that Schiavo suffered from an eating disorder that caused a serious electrolyte disturbance, stopping her heart, the autopsy itself showed little evidence to support this claim. The examiners also found no evidence that Schiavo had been the victim of trauma or foul play.

Regarding the cause and manner of Terri’s death, Thogmartin wrote, "Mrs. Schiavo suffered severe anoxic brain injury. The cause of which [sic] cannot be determined with reasonable medical certainty. The manner of death will therefore be certified as undetermined."

Memorial

File:SylvanAbbey.jpg

Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park. Click on any image to enlarge.

A close look at Terri's grave stone. **Click on image to make it larger.**

Schiavo's body was cremated following the autopsy.

Her parents offered a memorial Mass for her at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Gulfport on April 5. Father Frank Pavone, an activist with Priests for Life,^[34] delivered the main sermon (Audio: MP3 Format).^[35]

On May 7, Schiavo's parents made public a complaint that they hadn't been informed of when and where the ashes of their daughter had been (or were to be) buried by Michael Schiavo. He was under court order to provide this information to them.

On June 20, the cremated remains of Terri Schiavo were buried. The ceremony was fifteen minutes long and took place in a heavy rainstorm. A blue urn containing the ashes was placed in a lead box, along with mementos. The Schindlers' attorney stated that the family was notified by fax only after the memorial service; by then, the family had already started getting calls from reporters.^[36]

The ashes were interred under an oak tree near a pond and fountain at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park in Clearwater, Florida. Behind the grave marker sits a polished stone bench inscribed with the name "Schiavo."^[37]

Disputed opinions

David Gibbs III, the lead lawyer for Terri’s parents, supported Vatican statements which condemned her treatment as euthanasia. Pope John Paul II stated health care providers are morally obligated to provide food and water to patients in persistent vegetative states. This led to a challenge by her parents, who requested a new trial about whether their daughter, as a devout Catholic, would wish to go against the Church's teaching. Greer rejected their request.^[38]

During a trial in 2000, testimony was heard from witnesses on both sides to establish Schiavo's wishes regarding life support. The court determined that she'd made "credible and reliable" statements that she wouldn't want to be "kept alive on a machine," based on expert testimony, finding Americans don't want to live "with no hope of improvement," and that her condition in a persistent vegetative state had "long since satisfied" the requirement that there be no hope of improvement.^[39] In his report, Dr. Jay Wolfson, the 3rd guardian ad litem appointed by the courts, said "the reasonable degree of medical certainty associated with her diagnosis and prognosis is very high."^[40]

Public opinion and activism

The Terri Schiavo case held the attention of both American and international audiences and had major political ramifications. A number of polls of public opinion were carried out, particularly on the question of federal involvement in the Terri Schiavo case, with conflicting results. The case drew notable figures on both sides of the debate, as well as many pressure groups and public protesters. Although the vast majority of protests were nonviolent, 2 of the more extreme acts included death threats aimed towards Michael Schiavo. The Schindlers' legal fight was funded by a variety of sources on the political right.^[41]

On March 11, 2005, media tycoon Robert Herring (who believes that stem cell research could've cured Schiavo's condition) offered one million dollars to Michael Schiavo if he agreed to waive his guardianship to his wife's parents.^[42] The offer was rejected. George Felos, attorney for Michael, described the offer as "offensive," adding that Michael had rejected other monetary offers, including one of 10 million dollars.

During the final stages of the court battle in March 2005, around 30 individuals made a variety of complaints to the DCF alleging various abuses. These included Terri supposedly being in pain from recent dental work, Terri not having had any dental work for years, and even the blinds in her room not being open wide enough. DCF investigators found the claims to be groundless, stating that there were "no indicators" of abuse in any of the cases and concluding that "[t]he preponderance of the evidence shows that Michael Schiavo followed doctors' orders [regarding] Ms. Schiavo's diagnosis of being in a persistent vegetative state and that he provided her with appropriate care."^[43]

Notes and references

^ Felos, George J., Esq. "RESPONDENT MICHAEL SCHIAVO'S OPPOSITION TO APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTION," Case No.: 04A-825, March 24 2005 link
^ Campo-Flores, Arian. "The Legacy of Terri Schiavo," Newsweek, April 4 2005 link
^ Nair, Sandya. "Terri Schiavo case reveals the dangers of eating disorders," The Johns Hopkins Newsletter, March 24 2005 link
^ Chachere, Vickie. "Eating disorder is 'lost lesson' in Schiavo case," Associated Press, March 1 2005 link
^ Pariente, Barbara, Chief Justice (for The Court). "JEB BUSH, Governor of Florida, et al., vs. MICHAEL SCHIAVO, Guardian of Theresa Schiavo," Case Number: SC04-925, Florida Supreme Court, September 23 2004 link
^ Wolfson, Jay, DrPH, JD. "A REPORT TO GOVERNOR JEB BUSH AND THE 6TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN THE MATTER OF THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO," Abstract Appeal Legal Blog, December 1 2003 link
^ Greer, George W., Circuit Judge. "IN RE: THE GUARDIANSHIP OF THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO, Incapacitated," File No. 90-2908GD-003, Fla. 6th Judicial Circuit, February 11 2000 link
^ Gerbino, Joanne, Court Reporter. Transcript regarding "BARNETT BANK TRUST COMPANY as Guardian of the Property of THERESA SCHIAVO and MICHAEL SCHIAVO, individually, Plaintiffs, vs. G. STEPHEN IGEL, M.D., Defendant," CASE NO. 92-939-15, Purple Kangaroo Angela Web log, November 5 1992 link
^ State of Florida. House Bill No. 35-E, which later was passed into Law as Florida Public Law, Chapter 2003-418, commonly known as "Terri's Law," link
^ David, Charles A., Jr., Judge (for The Court). "ROBERT SCHINDLER and MARY SCHINDLER, parents of THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO, Appellants, v. MICHAEL SCHIAVO, as Guardian of the person of THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO, Appellee," Case Number: 2D03-5200, Florida Second District Court of Appeal, February 13 2004 link
^ Reynolds, Dave, Inclusion Daily Express. "Judge Baird Again Denies Schindlers' Request To Intervene In "Terri's Law" Case," Fla. Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, March 17 2004 link
^ State of Florida. "Case Docket," Case Number: 2D04-1528, Florida Second District Court of Appeal, link
^ Baird, W. Douglas, Circuit Judge. "Michael SCHIAVO, as Guardian of the person of Theresa Marie Schiavo, Petitioner, v. Jeb BUSH, Governor of the State of Florida, and Charlie Crist, Attorney General of the State of Florida, Respondents," Case No. 03-008212-CI-20, Fla. 6th Judicial Circuit, May 5 2005 link
^ Birkhold, James, Clerk (for The Court). "Order Relinquishing Case for Entry of Final Judgment and Order to Show Cause Why this Proceeding Should Not be Certified to the Supreme Court As Requiring Immediate Resolution," Case Number: 2D04-2045, Florida Second District Court of Appeal, May 12 2004 (Pages 6 & 7 of the 7-page Brief at the link following) link
^ Conigliaro, Matt, Esq. "Schiavo News," Abstract Appeal Legal Web Log, June 10 2004 link
^ Sanford, Sanford. "Schindlers at hearing in Lakeland-June 14,2004," Saving Terri Schiavo Web Log, June 14 2005 link
^ From Staff Reports. (Watts, Gordon W., Editor-in-Chief) "Lakeland Appeals Court holds Oral Arguments for Terri's Law," The Register, June 14 2004 link mirror link
^ Ford, Cheryl, R.N. "News Coverage of Terri Schiavo's family's challenge to Mike Schiavo's guardianship," The Register, June 16 2004 link mirror link
^ State of Florida. "Case Docket," Case Number: 2D04-1528, Florida Second District Court of Appeal, link
^ Foster, Sarah. "Judge dismisses Schindlers' petition: Court asked to explain Schiavo's guardianship in face of ongoing neglect," World Net Daily, July 9 2004 link
^ Pariente, Barbara, Chief Justice (for The Court). "JEB BUSH, Governor of Florida, et al., Appellants, vs. MICHAEL SCHIAVO, Guardian of Theresa Schiavo, Appellee," Case Number: SC04-925, Florida Supreme Court, September 23 2004 link
^ Davis, Tom, Chairman, (for The Committee). "SUBPOENA," Committee on Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, March 18 2005 link
^ An Unsigned News Story. "Docs Remove Terri Schiavo's Feeding Tube: Tube Was Scheduled To Be Removed Friday," CBS 2 Chicago, WBBM-TV, March 17 2005 link
^ An Unsigned "AP" News Story. "Schiavo's feeding tube removed despite congressional intervention," USA Today, March 18 2005 link
^ An Unsigned "AP" News Story. "Schiavo's Feeding Tube Removed," TBO.com News, March 18 2005 link
^ Farrington, Brendan. "Lawyers for Bush, lawmakers worked at exhausting pace on Schiavo," The Associated Press, May 24 2005 link
^ An Unsigned News Story. "GOP memo says issue offers political rewards," The Washington Post, April 4 2005 link
^ An Unsigned "AP" News Story. "KCBS Report: State Tried Schiavo Grab," WCBS-TV, March 26 2005 (WCBS-TV New York, reprinting a KCBS-TV Los Angeles Story) link
^ An Unsigned News Story. "Attorney: Terri's husband cradled her: 'It was a very emotional moment for many of us there'," CNN, April 1 2005 link
^ Breed, Allen G. "Terri Schiavo's final moments with husband," The Associated Press, March 30 2005 link
^ Thogmartin, Jon R., M.D. "REPORT OF AUTOPSY" for Theresa Schiavo, Case #5050439, June 13 2005 link
^ Phillips, Rich, Producer. "Autopsy: No sign Schiavo was abused: Findings show woman's brain 'profoundly atrophied'," CNN, June 17 2005 link
^ Thogmartin, Jon R., M.D. "REPORT OF AUTOPSY" for Theresa Schiavo, Case #5050439, June 13 2005 link
^ Pavone, Frank A. "Father Frank A. Pavone - Biography," Priests for Life, link
^ By Times Staff. "Schiavo's parents planning a funeral Mass for today," Saint Petersburg Times, April 5 2005 link
^ Stacy, Mitch. "Schiavo's Remains Buried Amid Acrimony: Acrimony Between Terri Schiavo's Parents and Husband Continues As Her Remains Buried in Florida," Associated Press, June 21 2005 link
^ Brink, Graham and Fries, Jacob. "A nearby resting place," Saint Petersburg Times, June 21 2005 link
^ Moore, Waveney Ann. "The Terri Schiavo Case: Vatican official enters Schiavo feeding tube fray," Saint Petersburg Times, February 26 2005 link
^ Greer, George W., Circuit Judge. "IN RE: THE GUARDIANSHIP OF THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO, Incapacitated," File No. 90-2908GD-003, Fla. 6th Judicial Circuit, February 11 2000 link
^ Wolfson, Jay, DrPH, JD. "A REPORT TO GOVERNOR JEB BUSH AND THE 6TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN THE MATTER OF THERESA MARIE SCHIAVO," Abstract Appeal Legal Blog, December 1 2003 link
^ Zúniga, Markos Moulitsas. "Money Trail in the Schiavo Case: Bioethics for Sale?," The Daily Kos, March 22 2005 link
^ Allred, Gloria, Esq. "Statement from Gloria Allred, Attorney-at-Law, Representing Robert Herring, Sr.:," Christian Wire Service, March 10 2005 link
^ Tisch, Chris and Krueger, Curtis. "Schiavo abuse claims were old," Saint Petersburg Times, June 4 2005 link

External links

Compilations

(legal documents relating to the Schiavo case)

Information sites

American Center for Law and Justice. ACLJ National "Religious Right" law firm. Retrieved August 30 2005
American Civil Liberty Union. ACLU National "Civil Rights" law firm. Retrieved August 30 2005
Amicus National, Inc. (2005). Legal docs, Living Wills. Site providing free living will forms on a state-by-state basis. Retrieved April 16 2005
Conigliaro, Matt, Esq., Editor of "Abstract Appeal" Legal Blog. (2005). THE TERRI SCHIAVO INFORMATION PAGE Retrieved August 31 2005
End-of-Life Choices (2005). Advance Health Care Directives: End-of-Life Choices—Make Your Wishes Known! Retrieved August 30 2005
Hospice Patients Alliance Retrieved August 30 2005
Zorn, Eric (2005). For your reference - the Schiavo case. Eric Zorn's Notebook, Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 31 2005

Articles

"Before fight over death, Terri Schiavo had a life." CNN. October 25 2003. ^[44]
Fackelmann, Kathleen. "Schiavo not likely to experience a painful death, neurologists say." USA Today. March 23 2005. ^[45]
Kumar, Anita. "The Terri Schiavo case: Before the circus." St. Petersburg Times. April 3 2005. ^[46]
Quill, Timothy E., MD. "Terri Schiavo—A Tragedy Compounded." New England Journal of Medicine. 21 April 2005. ^[47]
Rufty, Bill. "Doctors lament misuse of proper terminology in Schiavo debate." The Ledger. March 23 2005. ^[48]
Shannon, Thomas A. and Walter, James J. "Artificial nutrition, hydration: Assessing papal statement." National Catholic Reporter. April 16 2004 ^[49]
Wilson, Jamie. "Schiavo autopsy vindicates husband." The Guardian, June 16 2005. ^[50]

Advocacy and commentary

Opposing removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube

Supporting removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube

Religious Commentary on Schiavo, Disability Issues

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