Will Washington's Birthday Find Terri Starving?

From the pages of Life Matters!

As posted by CURE advisor Fr. Rob Johansen on Thrownback:

In a little reported ruling [on February 4], the Florida Second District Court of Appeals denied a re-hearing of the Schindlers' Papal Appeal, which argued that removing Terri's feeding tube would be a violation of Terri's First Amendment religious rights.

By handing down its ruling without issuing a written opinion, the Appeals Court has also precluded further appeals by the Schindlers to higher courts. I cannot help but suspect that this was an intended consequence on the court's part.

With the U.S. Supreme Court's denial of a hearing of Terri's Law, and the Florida Second District Court of Appeals' denial of the Papal Appeal, this means that there are no more appeals pending in Terri's case. That means that the indefinite stay issued by Judge Greer in Florida last fall will lapse within 15 days of the issuance of the Appeal Court's ruling.

Bottom line:

As I understand it, on Monday, January 21, Michael Schiavo will be able to go back to Judge Greer and request a new "death order" setting a new date for the removal of Terri's feeding tube. The only thing that will prevent this is if the Schindler's attorneys can find new grounds to file another appeal or convince Judge Greer or a higher court to issue another stay.

We need to start praying and getting the troops mobilized again. Terri's life is in grave danger.

I'll have more to post soon. [Editor's Note: When he does, you may read it here.]

Update, February 14, 8:00 p.m.:

It should be noted that the Schindlers are expected to appeal the Appeals Court's decision. As Baptist Press News reports today:

The Second District Court's decision, when it is finalized procedurally Feb. 22, will most likely end a current stay issued by Pinellas County Circuit Judge George Greer that is keeping Schiavo alive. The stay halts his 2000 ruling that said healthcare workers—at the request of Terri's husband and guardian, Michael Schiavo—could discontinue feeding Terri. Once her feeding tubes are removed, she will die by starvation and dehydration—most likely within seven to 10 days.

Attorneys for the Schindler family plan to attempt to appeal the Second District Court's decision and thus take the issue of a disabled person's religious liberty rights to the U.S. Supreme Court.

For the latest developments, keep up to date with the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation.