Florida Justices Hear Sides in Schiavo Right-to-Die Case; Witnesses Say Justices Peppered the Governor's Lawyer with Questions and Are Likely to Rule Soon on "Terri's Law."

Rushing, J. Taylor, The Florida Times Union

Byline: J. TAYLOR RUSHING, Capital Bureau Chief

TALLAHASSEE -- The legal battle over Terri Schiavo's life and law reached the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday, with attorneys for Gov. Jeb Bush squaring off against Schiavo's husband in a tug-of-war over the brain-damaged woman's rights.

The nationally watched case drew a nearly packed courtroom and strong skepticism from the seven justices who had narrowly voted in June to accept it. Schiavo, a 40-year-old woman in a Clearwater nursing home, has been mentally impaired since a 1990 heart attack and left no written directive.

Schiavo is being battled over by her husband, Michael Schiavo, who says he is following her wishes to be allowed to die, and Bush, who rushed "Terri's Law" through the Legislature in October to keep her alive. Schiavo's feeding tube had been removed, prompting her parents and supporters to lobby Bush and legislators for help …

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Publication information: Article title: Florida Justices Hear Sides in Schiavo Right-to-Die Case; Witnesses Say Justices Peppered the Governor's Lawyer with Questions and Are Likely to Rule Soon on "Terri's Law.". Contributors: Rushing, J. Taylor - Author. Newspaper title: The Florida Times Union. Publication date: September 1, 2004. Page number: Not available. © 2007 The Florida Times-Union. COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group.

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