The surviving family of Terri Schiavo rallied Monday at the University of Pennsylvania’s Biomedical Research Building to opposen Judge George Greer’s participation in a pro-euthanasia symposium titled: The Legacy of Terri Schiavo: Why is it so hard to die in America?
Statement of Bobby Schindler, the brother of the late Terri Schindler Schiavo on behalf of the Schindler family and the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Healthcare Ethics:
I am here today at the University of Pennsylvania to speak out against the participation of Pinellas County probate court Judge George Greer in the University's so-called 'Bioethics symposium.' Our family publicly stated for years that Judge Greer has a pro-euthanasia, pro-death bias, which tempered his decisions in my sister’s case and caused him to unethically, immorally and illegally ordered her to die.
For Judge Greer to speak on ‘The Legacy of the Terri Schiavo Case’ at a one-sided pro-death gathering without an opposing view or organized rebuttal is not only unethical for a sitting judge who still oversees precisely this type of case, it is a callous disregard for the preamble to the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct which says that our legal system is based on the principle that an independent, fair and competent judiciary will interpret and apply the laws that govern us. Judge Greer's participation in this event should cause fear and trembling for any disabled or vulnerable person whose fate is decided in his court.Mary and Robert Schindler as well as Suzanne Schindler Vitadamo and Bobby Schindler now work full time for The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Health Care Ethics, Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida, an organization dedicated to ensuring the rights of disabled, elderly and vulnerable citizens against care rationing, euthanasia and medical killing.How can any citizens of Florida have confidence that Judge Greer will remain unbiased now that he is on the speaking circuit justifying the killing of an innocent, disabled woman without any proof of her consent? Will he continue to play God and decree that all persons like my sister die by thirst and starvation?
Canon 2 of the Florida Judicial Code says, ‘a judge shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all the judge's activities. A judge shall respect and comply with the law and shall act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.’
Judge Greer's appearance here today certainly shows his bias against the disabled. He makes a mockery of the entire judicial system.
Does George Greer know the Law or is he so callous that he and his cohorts believe he is above the law?
While canon 4 would allow Judge Greer to participate in quasi-judicial activities involving the law, the code requires that such an event should not cast reasonable doubt on the judges' capacity to remain impartial. For George Greer to speak at an event where Michael Schiavo, Jay Wolfson, Dr. Cranford, Ms. Labyak, and others are appearing leaves little, if any doubt on how biased Greer is toward the disabled and his advocacy of promoting dehydration and starvation for our less fortunate brothers and sisters.
We would urge that the Judicial Qualifications Commission review Judge Greer's activities both within and outside the State of Florida for the sake of other vulnerable persons that may have to appear before him.
Those of us with the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Healthcare Ethics and my family are outraged at Judge Greer's participation in today's event and the appearance of bias he has perpetuated. The whole world has watched the actions of George Greer, and we believe history will one day record that his court gravely violated the law in my sister's case, committing judicial homicide.
Greer's presence proves he had and continues to have an agenda.