Michael Schiavo Threatens Legal Action if Terri Videos are not removed From Website
Terri Schiavo-Schindler Foundation | August 31 2004
FLASHBACK: Terri's Fight For Life: The Video Clips They Tried to Censor
Pinellas County, FL – Attorney Patricia Anderson, who represents the parents of Terri Schindler-Schiavo, has received two letters in as many days, threatening legal action against Bob and Mary Schindler if videos of Terri are not removed from the family's web site.
Citing a July 2002 court order, attorney Deborah Bushnell, representing Michael Schiavo, states that videos of Terri may not be disseminated by her family and promises that she will pursue a contempt of court action against the family if videos are not immediately removed. It is important to note that these videos of Terri were never sealed by the court and, therefore, public record.
Ms. Bushnell also takes issue that the family web site (www.terrisfight.org) links to Life Legal Defense Foundation's web site (www.lldf.org), a non-profit organization that has conducted fund-raising to offset the legal challenges Terri's family has undertaken in the hopes of protecting her life.
Ms. Bushnell's communications, however, did not address the possible exploitation of Terri Schiavo by her co-counsel, George Felos of Dunedin, Florida – who represents Michael Schiavo in both guardianship matters and in Schiavo v Bush.
Attorney George Felos is now listed as available talent with Eagles Talent Connection, Inc., a Speakers and Entertainers Bureau of South Orange, New Jersey. In their online booking site, Eagles Talent offers the speaking services of Mr. Felos for fees ranging from $10,000 to $15,000. Among the topics listed as presented material, Mr. Felos includes “The Terri Schiavo Saga – From Family Fight to Constitutional Crisis”.
Mr. Felos has already collected more than $500,000 of funds that were awarded to Terri Schiavo as a means to provide health care and rehabilitation services. Instead, this money was used to pay Mr. Felos's legal fees in the ongoing case to end her life.
Florida Statute 825.103, in part, defines exploitation of elderly and disabled persons thusly: “(a) Knowingly, by deception or intimidation, obtaining or using, or endeavoring to obtain or use, an elderly person's or disabled adult's funds, assets, or property with the intent to temporarily or permanently deprive the elderly person or disabled adult of the use, benefit, or possession of the funds, assets, or property, or to benefit someone other than the elderly person or disabled adult, by a person who: 1. Stands in a position of trust and confidence with the elderly person or disabled adult; or 2. Has a business relationship with the elderly person or disabled adult” The statute goes on to define the degree of felony pursuant to the amount of the funds in question. Donations received by the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation and Life Legal Defense Foundation are directed solely to the efforts to protect Terri from a forced dehydration and starvation death. Mr. Felos, on the other hand, appears to be prospering at Terri's expense.
