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State Bar of Texas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kim Davey
1.800.204.2222 or 512.463.1463 ext. 2013
Schiavo Case Emphasizes the Importance of Advance Directives
03/22/05
AUSTIN - (03/22/05) This weekend saw rapid and extraordinary
action regarding Terri Schiavo, the severely brain-damaged Florida woman
whose feeding tube was removed last Friday. After Congress held an emergency
session on Sunday, President Bush quickly signed legislation allowing a
federal review of the case. A U.S. district judge denied a request to order
the reinsertion of the feeding tube, and an appeal has been filed.
Regardless of your stance on the right to die issue or the seven-year
legal battle waging over Schiavo, this case emphasizes the importance of
completing advance medical directives - living wills and powers of attorney.
Schiavo never completed any advance medical directives. If she had, the
fighting and bitterness felt on both sides may have been avoided. At a minimum,
Schiavo’s wishes about which life-sustaining measures she wanted to
receive and whom she wanted to make her healthcare decisions when she was
unable would have been clearly known.
The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) pamphlet "To Will or Not To
Will" helps the public understand how the Texas Probate Code affects them
and their families. Sections on living wills and powers of attorney explain
what these legal documents are and how to complete them. Texas law prescribes
the forms and contents of living wills and powers of attorney. If you desire
to complete an advance medical directive, you should consult an attorney.
The State Bar of Texas, TYLA, and Texas Bar Foundation have produced
a wide variety of legal guides and pamphlets on issues that affect Texas
citizens in their everyday lives. The information is provided as a public
service and is available on the State Bar of Texas website (www.TexasBar.com),
or by calling 800.204.2222 or 512.463.1463, ext. 2610. The information is
not a substitute for the advice of a lawyer, but instead is designed to
assist Texans in learning about their legal rights.
The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court
of Texas. The Bar provides educational programs for the legal profession
and the public, administers the minimum continuing legal education program
for attorneys, and manages the attorney discipline system.
1414 Colorado Street, Austin, Texas 78701
www.texasbar.com
Kim Davey
Public Information & Communications
State Bar of Texas
800.204.2222 x2013
512.463.1463 x2013
kdavey@texasbar.com
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