Judge grants media access to records on Schiavo's care

[Rose Siding]

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A judge has ordered state officials to release summaries of their investigations into the treatment of Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged woman who died last month after her feeding tube was removed.

Pinellas Circuit Judge George Greer gave the state Department of Children and Families until Monday to release the records on dozens of investigations into complaints that Schiavo was mistreated. None of the allegations were substantiated.

The death of Schiavo, 41, ended a gut-wrenching court battle between her husband and parents over whether she would have wanted to live in a vegetative state.

"The public interest includes the need for citizens to know of and adequately evaluate the actions of DCF and the court system in providing vulnerable adults with the protections provided" under state law, Greer wrote Thursday.
The agency, which had objected to releasing the records, will comply with the order, DCF chief of staff Bill Spann said.

The repeated allegations of abuse were based partly on bone scans showing Terri Schiavo suffered fractures and statements she made to family and friends that she was unhappy in her marriage.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3136027

[FlaGranny]

1. I wonder if those fractures

were the kind malnourished people get from osteoporosis. I'll bet they are. Years of bulemia have a tendency to cause that. I'm sure that will be mentioned in her records. It's a private matter, and normally I wouldn't want them released, but in this case, it will help her husband's reputation if all these records are released.

[Tempest]

4. What bone scans?

The bone scans were never reviewed by the judges in the case as far as I know. I've reviewed much of the court documents available and no scans other than the brain scans are mentioned or were entered as evidence.

The state talked of scans, but to my knowledge, there's no indication they were ever shown to the court.

I'm willing to bet they don't exist.

[plcdude]

2. autopsy results?

have they been made public yet?

[Norquist Nemesis]

3. Any word on the autopsy? n/t

[GoldenOldie]

5. Files from the Department of Children & Families

I wonder if the Courts have set a precedent up now that Florida's Department of Children & Families must open their files on the 299 missing children that are under their guardianship and cannot account for. 299 children fell through the cracks and the fundamental moral majority with their tambourines, jugglers, bagpipers, etc., have no mikes or voices to proclaim the name of Jesus, and blessed are the children.

The 299 missing children apparently had no life-line at all, so there wasn't anything to unplug........no news here.

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Amazing, isn't it?

Poor Terri. :( I feel confident in saying that never, in her wildest dreams, would she have imagined that her parents would put her on display and use her the way they did. At least she had someone though.

We've heard very little about those children. Here in Chicagoland, there were some news reports several months (maybe even a couple of years ago) about one of children who fell through the cracks into oblivion. IIRC, the grandmother had been trying for two years to get someone to do something, but she was getting nowhere. I don't remember anything in-depth about it though.

[msanthrope]

7. Well, if Judge Greer did set that precedent.....

If Judge Greer did set the precedent, to open up the files on the 299 missing children, by opening up the files on Terri Schiavo, well, then, would that not be the perfect poetic revenge against Jeb?

All in the name of justice, though. Really. Damn those activist judges!!! (sarcasm)

[Mike Daniels]

8. People are going to continue to believe what they want on this case

The links on Free Republic already have Greer, Felos and M. Schiavo scrubbing the reports before release.

Apparently by scrubbing the reports this will supposedly eliminate any possible incriminating evidence that shows that Terri was wearing a flapper's outfit and doing the Charleston every morning before she passed away.

[slackmaster]

10. Truer words were never written

The RW fundies have completely bought into the propaganda line that Michael Schiavo is some kind of monster, and the ridiculous "balloon" video as proof that Terri Schiavo wasn't in a PVS. If the autopsy finds her brain had turned completely into a turnip they'll just expand the conspiracy to include the medical examiners.

:eyes:

[DS1]

9. She's in the ground. Leave it alone

:eyes: