Terri Schiavo case

===Petition to remove feeding tube===
On June 18, 1990, the court appointed Michael Schiavo as Terri Schiavo's legal guardian; this appointment was not disputed by the Schindlers at the time.<ref name="wolfson" /> In May 1998, Michael Schiavo filed a petition to remove Terri Schiavo's feeding tube, which her parents opposed. Richard Pearse was appointed by the court as a second [[guardian ad litem|guardian ''ad litem'' (GAL)]], and on December 29, 1998, reported "Dr. Jeffrey Karp's opinion of the [[Ward (law)|ward]]'s condition and prognosis is substantially shared among those physicians who have recently been involved in her treatment." Pearse concluded from Karp's and Vincent Gambone's diagnosis of ''Persistent Vegetative State'' that Schiavo was legally in a persistent vegetative state as defined by Florida Statutes, Title XLIV, Chapter 765, [[§]]101(12). This includes the "absence of voluntary action" and an "inability to communicate or interact purposefully".<ref name="pearse">{{cite web|url=http://www.hospicepatients.org/richard-pearse-jr-12-29-98-report-of-guardianadlitem-re-terri-schiavo.pdf|title=Report of guardian ad litem", for "In re: the guardianship of Theresa Schiavo, an incapacitated person, Case No. 90-2908GD-003|author=Pearse, Richard L. Jr. P.A. Guardian Ad Litem.|pages=2, 8–11|publisher=Hospice Patients Alliance|date=December 29, 1998|access-date=February 1, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211023027/http://www.hospicepatients.org/richard-pearse-jr-12-29-98-report-of-guardianadlitem-re-terri-schiavo.pdf|archive-date=February 11, 2006|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/765.101|title=State of Florida. Florida Statutes, Citation of Law, §765.101(12), Florida Statutes|publisher=[[State of Florida]]|date=June 1, 2005|access-date=February 3, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517122147/http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/765.101|archive-date=May 17, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Pearse found that there was no possibility of improvement but that Michael Schiavo's decisions might have been influenced by the potential to inherit what remained of Terri Schiavo's estate as long as he remained married to her. Due to a lack of a [[living will]] and questions regarding Michael's credibility, Pearse recommended denying his petition to remove her feeding tube. Pearse reported that the issue of conflict of interest applied to the Schindlers as well since, had Michael divorced Terri as they wanted him to, they would have inherited the remainder of Terri Schiavo's estate upon her death.<ref name="pearse" />