Judge To Decide On Visitation Limits In Schiavo Case - Husband Wants To Restrict Visits By Woman's Parents
May 26, 2004
No author provided at originating website. Associated Press story.
Clearwater, Florida - The parents of a severely brain-damaged woman will be allowed an unsupervised visit with their daughter this weekend, but a judge will decide whether future visits should be monitored.
Terri Schiavo's husband wants to put restrictions on the visits, and his attorneys told a judge Wednesday they should not be allowed in her room at the nursing home without supervision.
The parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, say their son-in-law, Michael Schiavo, is harassing them because of their efforts to keep her alive against his wishes.
Michael Schiavo has sought for years to remove his wife's feeding tube so she can die.
But Michael Schiavo's attorneys point to a March 29 incident where they claim puncture marks were found on Terri's arms after a visit by her parents. Clearwater police reported no evidence of a crime, saying the marks probably were caused by the apparatus used to lift her in and out of bed.
But the husband's attorneys say the incident was suspicious enough to warrant restrictions on visitation.
They also told Circuit Judge George Greer that Bob Schindler violated a court order by shooting a videotape of Terri last year, and supervision is necessary to make sure it doesn't happen again.
The Schindlers said they had a supervised visit Sunday, the first time they were allowed to see their daughter since March 29.
Greer said the Schindlers and Terri's brother and sister could have a 11/2-hour unsupervised visit Saturday, and he will rule sometime next week on the husband's request for future restrictions.
"The fact that we get back to see her makes us happy," Bob Schindler said after the hearing.
The Schindlers have been battling Michael Schiavo in court for years over the fate of their daughter, who court-appointed doctors say was left in a persistent vegetative state after collapsing from a chemical imbalance in 1990.
Her husband has fought to remove her feeding tube, arguing that she would not want to be kept alive artificially.
Her parents doubt she had any such end-of-life wishes and believe her condition could improve with treatment.
The case garnered national headlines in October when the Florida Legislature and Governor Jeb Bush stepped in to save Terri Schiavo's life after a court had ordered the tube removed.
Michael Schiavo sued Bush, contending that the hastily passed law giving Bush authority to reinsert the tube was unconstitutional. A circuit judge agreed, and that decision is under appeal. The 2nd District Court of Appeal has indicated that it wants the case expedited to the Florida Supreme Court.
Survey at this article: Was Governor Jeb Bush right to intervene in the case of Terri Schiavo, the brain-damaged woman whose husband wants to remove her feeding tube? Previous Stories:
April 27, 2004: Schiavo's Parents Want Visitation Rights Restored
April 19, 2004: Attorneys Argue Over Depositions In Schiavo Case
October 27, 2003: Husband To File Legal Challenge In Feeding-Tube Case Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. |