Federal Courts

First of all off the beaten topic for a second, I find it somewhat perplexing how people can assert without hesitation that Terri is feeling no pain. Says who? Only two neurologists have examined her. One believes with proper therapy she could make some improvements. The other is a proponent of state sponsored euthanasia in more expansive cases. In this case she is going to experience nose bleeds, vomit, possibly lapse into seizures over a torturous 10 to 14 day period. If dying with dignity is the goal then we couldn't choose a worse option. Back to the point the federal courts should be the last option for this matter. Though under the current operation of our legal system one could argue that she was being denied her due process under the 14th amendment- I mean hell... inmates on death row get afforded the luxury- but this simply was never the province of the federal court. It is actually my worry that under the current application of our laws claims to substantive due proces... Read more

The Federal Courts are already too tied up with other decisions.If we allow every tear-jerking and emotionally charged issue to end up in federal court we'll never get ANYWHERE.I'm sorry if that sounds callous-and I pray that Terri,her Husband,and her family all get the peace and justice they deserve- but I don't think this case deserves the amount of national attention it's getting.Another red-herring to keep the public arguing over something other than the REAL issues.

I think this may be where the final decision comes from in this distressing, and to me not-obvious case. What will likely emerge is a new precedent, and that's a pretty big deal. The more I think about the case, the less I want her estranged husband deciding on her fate.

I'm OK with this being decided by the Federal Courts, much moreso than the Florida Court system. But as part and parcel to the process, they have to delineate when an American citizen can be euthanized at the request of his/her next of kin. This isn't the refusal to resuscitate a patient who would die without extraordinary life support equipment. It is removal of a feeding tube, causing her death by starvation. This is a living, breathing human being who can smile, react to visitors and sit upright. A federal judge, cognizant of the precedent he is setting, should decide this case. And if this girl dies, by starvation, which could take up to 2 weeks, we should all run to the office of our lawyer, and delineate those conditions under which we can arbitrarily be deprived of nutrition by medical personnel. Does the fact that you would rather die than live the way she is give you the right to decide for her? In this country, it is usually difficult for the government to condemn some... Read more

I think it's appropriate that the Schiavo case go to the federal court system. The issues raised by this tragic case seem broad enough that it's important to have a national interpretation of the law regarding right to life in this particular context. I would not want to be the federal judge that hears this case...

Like the President and the Florida Courts, the feds must deal with it once it gets to their level.

The Terri Schiavo story has been going on for 15 years- most of that time has been spent in and out of court rooms. Where do we draw the line?