ACLJ Disappointed Federal Appeals Court Rejects Request to Reinsert Terri Schiavo's Feeding Tube.

WASHINGTON -- The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which specializes in constitutional law, said today it is disappointed that a federal appeals court rejected a request by the parents of Terri Schiavo to reinstate Terri's feeding tube and to rehear a decision by a panel of the federal appeals court. The ACLJ assisted the Florida attorneys representing Bob and Mary Schindler - Terri's parents - in this latest appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

"It is very disappointing that the federal appeals court did not agree to step in and issue an order to reinstate Terri's feeding tube," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ, which represented the Schindlers - Terri's parents - at the Supreme Court in their efforts to defend the previous Florida legislation that was declared unconstitutional. "The very important legal issues raised in this appeal included arguments that the federal judiciary clearly made a mistake in failing to examine fully the facts in this case as called for by the federal legislation passed and signed into law. There is only one legal avenue available now and that is the Supreme Court of the United States. It is up to Terri's parents to determine whether they will make that appeal."

In filings with the appeals court, Terri's parents contended that the federal district court and appeals court made a clear mistake by ignoring Supreme Court precedent that makes it incumbent upon the federal judiciary to impose a heightened standard of proof and to conduct a new examination of the facts in Terri's case to determine if the Florida court acted properly in ordering the removal of Terri's feeding tube. The appeals court was asked to reinsert Terri's feeding tube and to rehear the case.

In earlier proceedings with the federal appeals court, the ACLJ represented Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL) - one of the chief sponsors of the federal legislation passed and signed into law by President Bush that gave the federal courts authority to conduct a full legal review of Terri's case.

Led by Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, the American Center for Law and Justice specializes in constitutional law and the protection of human life and is based in Washington, D.C. and is online at www.aclj.org.