More Cerminara on Schiavo

New on SSRN: Kathy L. Cerminara, Tracking the Storm: The Far-Reaching Power of the Forces Propelling the Schiavo Case, 35 Stetson L. Rev. (forthcoming 2005). The abstract:

More than 15 years elapsed between the date Theresa Marie Schiavo suffered a cardiac arrest, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state because of brain damage, and the date she took her last breath. The conflict between her parents and her husband regarding her medical care lasted for more than 11 of those 15 years. The litigation over her care lasted for more than six. It is difficult to keep track of the multiple court cases filed in Schiavo, let alone to pinpoint the highlights of their many twists and turns. It may be possible, however, to predict how the aftereffects of the Schiavo maelstrom will impact upon the law of end-of-life decision-making in Florida. This article highlights statements made during the Florida Legislature's debates about the Schiavo matter in late 2003 and analyzes what citizens of Florida might expect in terms of lingering legal effects of the Schiavo case and the storm surrounding it.