DCF Appeals Schiavo Decision

On Monday, Florida's Department of Children and Families filed an appeal of last week's decision of Sixth Circuit Court Judge George W. Greer who had denied the agency's motion for intervention in the case in order to conduct a mandated investigation of some 30 allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation in the Schiavo case.

DCF has asked the appellate court to issue a stay in the death order until the matter can be heard and investigation completed.

The DCA is also considering several other motions filed by Terri's parents, the Schindlers, of other Greer rulings in the case and has promised an expedited ruling by 5 p.m. Thursday. The Schindlers are also seeking a stay in the death order until all appeals can be heard.

The agency has indicated that estranged husband and guardian Michael Schiavo who seeks to end his wife's life is the target of their investigation. Greer has ordered him to remove his wife's feeding tube because he says she is in a persistent vegetative state and would not want to be kept alive by assisted feeding.

DCF had sought a 60-day stay of Greer's death order in order to allow them to complete their investigation, saying that the termination of Terri's life would hamper the investigation of the allegations, "many of which have previously gone on uninvestigated", according to DCF.

But despite the agency's statutory mandate to investigate, last week Greer denied their motion to intervene and their request for a stay, saying that "intervention is allowed only if the interests of justice so required and the the intervenor stands to lose or gain invaluable rights dependent on the outcome of the case".

Apparently Greer doesn't consider that executing an allegedly abused woman whose only "crime" is that she receives her food and water in an alternative manner than other people, constitutes granting a stay "in the interest of justice" in order to seek the truth in the matter. Continue reading...

First posted on BlogsforTerri