State Agents were en route to get Schiavo...local police say NO!

[Oilwellian]

Hours after a judge ordered that Terri Schiavo was not to be removed from her hospice, a team of state agents were en route to seize her and have her feeding tube reinserted -- but they stopped short when local police told them they would enforce the judge's order, The Herald has learned.

Agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told police in Pinellas Park, the small town where Schiavo lies at Hospice Woodside, on Thursday that they were on the way to take her to a hospital to resume her feeding.

For a brief period, local police, who have officers at the hospice to keep protesters out, prepared for what sources called "a showdown."

In the end, the squad from the FDLE and the Department of Children & Families backed down, apparently concerned about confronting local police outside the hospice.

"We told them that unless they had the judge with them when they came, they were not going to get in," said a source with the local police.

"The FDLE called to say they were en route to the scene," said an official with the city police who requested anonymity. "When the sheriff's department and our department told them they could not enforce their order, they backed off."


Josh Marshall
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

[mondo joe]

1. Amazing! How does all this jurisdiction WORK?

Can anyone tell me?

[Oilwellian]

4. The local police would be the ones to enforce the judge's orders

I remember many DU'ers wondering if it would turn into a showdown between various structures of power within the Florida govt. Apparently it DID.

[zapp]

2. This is getting stranger and stranger....

[BuyingThyme]

3. I keep having to double check this stuff to see if it's real.

I think it's time to arrest Jeb.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Really

It's like when you have to pinch yourself to know if you're really dreaming or not. I still think I'm in a really weird episode of the Twilight Zone and I'm waiting to see Rod Serling pop up and do his brief introdction with his cig.

[countryjake]

23. Between the lies that are spewing from the tube...

& some of the fantastic revelations that I've read here, I'm just about googled out this week from trying to see what's true.

I heard the father say tonight, in a rather stern tone, that the time has come for the governor "to step up to the plate!" The way the threats are flying from some of these extreme nutjobs, ole Jeb just might have go into hiding before this is over. They're foaming at the mouth!

[BuyingThyme]

5. Bernie Ward just read this story on his radio show...

Listen online:

kgo.com

[FreedomAngel82]

10. I love Bernie!

:hi:

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Simply amazing

Just wondering: how would they get the tube back in her? Doesn't that require surgery?

[zapp]

8. I would think so....

Maybe thats why the plan was to take her to the hospital.

[doublethink]

7. Yep either Jeb ....

sent these State agents there or someone in the hierarchy in that dept has taken it upon themselves to disregard the Constitution of the USA.

[zann725]

14. Well it IS Florida! What Constitution? Which one?

n/t

[doublethink]

17. You name it ....

this thing has been looked at just about every level in the judiciary system of this country, state and federal level. 20 some odd times over how many years? And all have come to the same conclusion. Any attempt to intercede now by Jeb or other powers that be would be a total disregard for a lot of things. Bordering on setting up the Theocracy these protesters invision. That's why the local police need to stand their ground. They are protecting our rights too. Strange shit, only in Florida. Geesh ...

edited for spelling ... :)

[high density]

11. So this was a Jeb Bush loophole attempt?

"It also shows that agencies answering directly to Gov. Jeb Bush had planned to use a wrinkle in Florida law that would have allowed them to legally get around the judge's order. The exception in the law allows public agencies to freeze a judge's order whenever an agency appeals it." http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11233240.htm

So who's being "activist" here?

[BuyingThyme]

13. Either a loophole, or a

coup.

[queeg]

12. they were just talking about this on MSNBC

Like it was just happening.

Also some freeper has been arrested for putting a bounty of 250k on Michael Shiavo and 50k on Judge Greer.

I can think of nothing else I want to do for the next few days but watch the Freepers eat themselves. Demos just need to stand aside and watch the carnage.

[Syrinx]

15. I'm confused; but isn't this a good sign of democracy?

I'm deeply conflicted about the underlying case about Ms. Schiavo. It's a sad sad story.

But isn't this particular bit good news? It's a show of defiance against the Bush's, Jeb in particular? For the rule of law?

Forgive me if I'm mistaken. I admit it's a very confusing and saddening situation

[Oilwellian]

18. This is a very good thing

The only thing that's protecting what is left of our democracy is the judiciary. If the executive branch can railroad those who carry out the laws of the land, we are in effect a dictatorship. The judges who've ruled many times on the Schiavo case, have ruled based on Florida law and past precedents. Ole Jeb is bound to these laws just like everyone else and I'm so glad to see law enforcement put him in his place.

[Syrinx]

19. thanks for that

I'm still uneasy though.

Nice to see local law enforcement backing the actual rule of law. The situation still seems fluid (not just in this case). Hopefully this is a sign that our law enforcers will not be bullied by corrupt executives, but it could still go any way. It's a very dicey situation, and I realized just how dicey when I tried to draft this reply. ;)

[StevieM]

16. This is a disgrace......

Bill Clinton was impeached for doing less then this. Jeb Bush is a disgrace--what he did was illegal. But I guess the law doesn't apply to everyone. Sad.

Steve

[Must_B_Free]

20. WOW Showdown!

I'd like to see this dramatized in a film

[cap]

21. what's the point of removing her??

all you have to do is order the hospital to put in the feeding tube. There was no question that the hospital would comply.

Isnt it rather dangerous to mover Terri in her current condition?

[Leilani]

22. She's in a hospice, & they can't replace the tube

They have to take her to a hospital for a tube to be reinserted.

[countryjake]

25. Are you sure of that?

I heard that they simply closed the cap on her feeding station. Saw some doc demonstrating what was done, too.

[Bunny]

24. Un-farking-believable.

So the FDLE and DCF were prepared to willfully defy a court order, but backed down when they realized that the police and sheriff's department were determined to actually enforce the court order?

Did they think the locals would also defy the order, and were surprised to find out they wouldn't? Did they expect the locals to just roll over? What does this say about the FDLE and DCF?