A judge has found for the mother who wants to snuff Javona, but not entirely, just for the malpractice suit. Hmmmmm.
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A woman seeking to cut off life support for her comatose 16-year-old daughter against the father's wishes won a minor victory Monday in court.
Janet Joseph was named the girl's guardian, but only for the purposes of pursuing a medical malpractice suit against Montefiore Medical Center, where the girl suffered irreparable brain damage during an operation three months ago.
The father, Leonard Peters, was not in the courtroom, but his lawyer agreed to the appointment.
The estranged parents - who never married - both filed for guardianship of their daughter, Javona Peters, in Bronx Supreme Court.
Referring to the life support issue, Justice Stanley Green said, "I just want to make it clear" that the appointment "has nothing to do with the continuation or discontinuation of life support or any care and treatment of this young woman."
Legal experts said Monday's decision would affect future court decisions on guardianship and Javona's fate.
"It sets the stage," said lawyer Joshua Rubenstein, former chairman of the Trusts and Estates Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
Rubenstein and other experts said the issue could take years to resolve, an echo of the life support cases involving Terri Schiavo and Karen Ann Quindlen.
Monday's hearing was held behind closed doors at the request of the parents' lawyers, neither of whom would comment, except to state jointly, "The parents are agreeing to cooperate."
Mother of teenage girl in coma named guardian - but only for malpractice suit
8mm
