WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (AFP) - The United States Supreme Court Monday refused to hear arguments for keeping a comatose woman alive over the wishes of her husband, dealing a blow to Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who wants to retain her feeding tube.
Bush, brother of US President George W. Bush, had asked the court to overturn a ruling by the state Supreme Court that a special law Bush pushed through the state legislature to keep Teri Schiavo on life support was unconstitutional.
That law, signed in October 2003, required Schiavo's feeding tube, which had kept her alive for 14 years, be reinserted after her husband had it removed despite protests from her parents and siblings.
"Governor Bush's case is over and the ruling of the Florida Supreme Court that Terri's law is unconstitutional -- that stands," said George Felos, who represented Schiavo's husband, Michael.
Doctors have said that Schiavo, 41, has been in a persistent vegetative state for the last 14 years after suffering a heart attack, and has no hope of recovering.
The woman's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, have fought to keep her alive and enlisted the help of Governor Bush.
"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 for the American Center for Law and Justice, which represented the Schindler in this case.
"By declaring 'Terri's Law' unconstitutional, the Florida courts have handed down a death sentence for her," he said.
01/24/2005 18:20 GMT - AFP