Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Timeline of the Schiavo case

By Times Staff Writer
Published February 27, 2005

FEB. 25, 1990: Terri Schiavo has a heart attack, temporarily cutting off oxygen to her brain.

JANUARY 1993: A jury awards Schiavo and her husband, Michael, $1-million in a malpractice trial against doctors who treated her in 1992.

JULY 29, 1993: Bob and Mary Schindler, Terri Schiavo's parents, file a petition to have Michael Schiavo removed as Terri's guardian.

SEPT. 15, 1994: The guardianship case is dismissed.

MAY 1998: Michael Schiavo files a petition to remove his wife's feeding tube, saying she would not want to be kept on life support.

FEB. 11, 2000: Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge George Greer rules the feeding tube can be removed.

MARCH 28, 2000: The Schindlers appeal to the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

JAN. 24, 2001: The 2nd District Court of Appeal upholds Greer's decision.

MARCH 29, 2001: Greer rules Schiavo feeding tube can be removed at 1 p.m. April 20.

APRIL 26, 2001: Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Frank Quesada orders doctors to resume feeding Schiavo while the Schindlers pursue a lawsuit against Michael Schiavo. The suit, later dismissed, accuses him of committing perjury when he said his wife did not want to be kept on life support.

NOV. 22, 2002: Greer rules that no current medicine can revive Schiavo and orders the feeding tube removed Jan. 3.

DEC. 13, 2002: Greer delays it so the Schindlers can appeal.

JUNE 6, 2003: The 2nd District Court of Appeal rejects the new appeal.

SEPT. 17, 2003: Greer orders the feeding tube removed at 2 p.m. Oct. 15.

OCT. 13, 2003: Right-to-life advocates begin a vigil, urging Gov. Jeb Bush to intervene.

OCT. 15, 2003: Schiavo's feeding tube is removed.

OCT. 21, 2003: The Legislature, in emergency session, passes a law to overturn the court ruling, allowing Bush to order Schiavo's feeding tube reinserted. Michael Schiavo sues, challenging Terri's Law.

NOV. 14, 2003: Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Douglas Baird calls Terri's Law intrusive and "presumptively unconstitutional."

JUNE 16, 2004: The Florida Supreme Court agrees to decide whether Terri's Law is constitutional.

AUG. 31, 2004: Bush's lawyers argue before the Supreme Court that the governor has the power to step in to protect the rights of a disabled adult when her own wishes are in doubt. Michael Schiavo's attorney calls it an illegal power grab.

SEPT. 23, 2004: Florida Supreme Court strikes down Terri's Law.

SEPT. 30, 2004: The Schindlers ask Greer to determine if the pope's recent statement on withholding care from anyone in a vegetative state should erase a court finding that Terri would not want to be kept alive by artificial means.

OCT. 22, 2004: Greer refuses to hold a hearing regarding the pope's statements, but says the tube cannot be removed until at least Dec. 6 so lawyers can appeal.

OCT. 29, 2004: Greer says Terri Schiavo's feeding tube cannot be removed until her parents exhaust an appeal on whether a hearing should be held to see if she would want to live.

DEC. 29, 2004: An appeals court denies a request from the Schindlers to reopen their daughter's case, based on a March statement from the pope.

JAN. 24: Terri's Law loses its last battle when the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to step into the case.

FEB. 11: Greer rejects the Schindlers' motion to redo a 2000 trial to determine what their daughter's wishes would be.

FEB. 18: The 2nd District Court of Appeal refuses to reconsider its decision rejecting the Schindlers' appeal regarding the pope's statements.

FEB. 22: The 2nd DCA finalizes its decision and seemingly clears the way for the tube's removal. Less than an hour later, Greer issues a second order stopping it until a hearing the next day.

FEB. 23: Greer extends the stay barring removal of the feeding tube for two more days. State officials file an 11th-hour motion to block the tube's removal to investigate abuse allegations against Michael Schiavo. His lawyer denounces the move.

FEB. 25: Greer rejects the Schindlers' request for another stay so they can pursue further appeals and more medical testing. He orders the feeding tube removed at 1 p.m. March 18.

Compiled by Times researcher Kitty Bennett from Times files.

[Last modified February 27, 2005, 00:14:06]