US Supreme Court Refuses to Reinstate 'Terri's Law'

(CNSNews.com) - On a day when pro-life advocates gathered in Washington for their annual march to the U.S. Supreme Court, that same court made a decision that is sure to upset many of the marchers. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to reinstate a Florida law that saved the life of Terri Schiavo. The severely brain-damaged woman has lived for years with the help of a feeding tube, which her husband insists she would have wanted removed. Terri's parents have fought to keep her alive. Today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court clears the way for the feeding tube to be removed, press reports said. The Florida Supreme Court struck down Terri's Law last fall. "It is very disappointing that the Supreme Court has refused to enter into a critically important case involving the life and death struggle of Terri Schiavo," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, which represented the Schindlers at the Supreme Court. "With the Supreme Court refusing to take the case, there are now fewer options available to protecting the life of Terri Schiavo and that's a real tragedy. By declaring 'Terri's Law' unconstitutional, the Florida courts have handed down a death sentence for her," said Sekulow. "We believe the Florida Governor and legislature acted constitutionally and appropriately in passing 'Terri's Law' -- a life-saving legislation that is at the center of the legal dispute. While there are still legal options available in Florida, the Supreme Court's refusal to take the case makes it more difficult for those legal options to prevail," he added.