Posted on 03/23/2005 12:33:00 PM PST by teenyelliott
"I do not believe that Florida recognizes common law marriage. Therefore he is not a bigamist, nor does living with another woman, regardless of the moral implications, make him a criminal."
No, it doesn't make him a criminal. But it sure zaps his credibility as the sole witness to have heard him wife state she wanted to die in this type of situation.
Well I suppose it's hard to believe that Daddy and Mommy are money-grubbing vultures, but sometimes we just have to accept reality. From the judge's ruling after the first trial:
During the period of time following the incident of February 23, 1990 the parties worked together in an attempt to provide the best care possible for Terri Schiavo. On February 14, 1993, this amicable relationship between the parties was severed. While the testimony differs on what may or may not have been promised to whom and by whom, it is clear to this court that such severance was predicated upon money and the fact that Mr. Schiavo was unwilling to equally divide his loss of consortium award with Mr. and Mrs. Schindler. The parties have literally not spoken since that date. Regrettably, money overshadows this entire case and creates potential of conflict of interest for both sides. The Guardian Ad Litem noted that Mr. Schiavo's conflict of interest was that if Terri Schiavo died while he is still her husband, he would inherit her estate. The record before this court discloses that should Mr. and Mrs. Schindler prevail, their stated hope is that Mr. Schiavo would divorce their daughter, get on with his life, they would be appointed guardians of Terri Schiavo and become her heirs at law. They have even encouraged him to "get on with his life". Therefore, neither side is exempt from finger pointing as to possible conflicts of interest in this case.
I have wondered, had she died that night would there have been an automatic autopsy? If so, why will there not be one when she dies now?
susie
Goodness I trust my husband will wait til I'm in the ground before he sires children by another woman. And, barring that, I KNOW he would divorce me first and allow someone else to care for me if he felt he couldn't or didn't want to.
And I the same for him.
What happened to in sickness and in health and til death do us part? What a selfish generation we are.
susie
He's not the sole witness to her statements. In the timeline on the Terri Schiavo page at Abstract Appeal, there are links to the actual court documents for each of the trials. The first one is the judge's order after the trial in January of 2000. Five people testified about statements Terri had made regarding maintaining life support. Mrs. Schindler and another witness testified that Terri commented about the Karen Ann Quinlan case that the father shouldn't remove life support from Karen. The court found inconsistencies with both witnesses. Michael Schiavo, his brother, and his sister-in-law testified about statements Terri had made about independence, quality of life, not to be a burden, hooked to a machine, etc. The court found no inconsistencies with the testimony of these witnesses. The court discounted the Karen Ann Quinlan statements, since Terri made them at the age of 11 or 12 and they were statements about what she would do for someone else rather than about herself in the same situation. The other statements were made when she was an adult. When her grandmother was in intensive care, she said that "if she was ever a burden she would not want to live like that." While she and Michael watched a TV show about people on life support, she again said she would not want to live like that. At her grandmother's funeral, she said to Michael's brother Scott, "If I ever go like that just let me go. Don't leave me there. I don't want to be kept alive on a machine." And while watching a TV movie about a man in a coma, she said to Scott's wife Joan that she wanted it stated in her will that "she would want the tubes and everything taken out if that ever happened to her." That court document is here, and I find the Schiavo statements to be much more credible than the Schindler statements. How about you?
I am curious, because I cannot tell from any of the court records I have read. When they say she went home to be with family, was it her parents or Michael?
susie
You may not believe the others, either, but there were others.
Excellent question. Why the hurry to kill her and then cremate her IMMEDIATELY. What does Michael Schiavo want to hide. Why not allow an autopsy and a public review of the medical records taken after her mysterious accident?
Yes, but the money is almost gone now. So what is the husband's motivation in your mind?
Here it is.
(10) "Life-prolonging procedure" means any medical procedure, treatment, or intervention, including artificially provided sustenance and hydration, which sustains, restores, or supplants a spontaneous vital function. The term does not include the administration of medication or performance of medical procedure, when such medication or procedure is deemed necessary to provide comfort care or to alleviate pain.
The 2004 Florida Statutes, Title XLIV, Civil Rights, Chapter 765, Health Care Advance Directives, 765.101 Definitions.
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