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Florida Supreme Court says legislature, governor had no right to save Terri Schiavo's life
The Florida Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that the state legislature should not have given Gov. Jeb Bush the power to feed mentally disabled 40-year-old Terri Schiavo against the wishes of husband, who wanted to starve her to death. "Terri's law" violates the separation of powers, the court said.

"It is without question an invasion of the authority of the judicial branch for the Legislature to pass a law that allows the executive branch to interfere with the final judicial determination in a case," Chief Justice Barbara Pariente wrote. "This absolute unfettered discretion to decide whether to issue and then when to lift a stay makes the governor's decision virtually unreviewable."

Pariente said the law must triumph over emotion: "We recognize the tragic circumstances underlying this case make it difficult to put emotions aside and focus solely on the legal issue presented," she wrote. " However, we are a nation of laws and we must govern our decisions by the rule of law and not by our own emotions."

It's unclear what comes next. Gov. Bush may appeal the decision in the federal court system. Schiavo's feeding tube may be removed, and her starvation may begin. Watch TerrisFight.org for more details. We'll round up reaction tomorrow.

TBN says it needs massive reserves for expansion and terrorism insurance
A 1,500-word press release issued yesterday by the Trinity Broadcasting Network's public relations firm calls recent Los Angeles Times articles about the organization "full of inaccuracies, condescension and mischaracterizations."

The press release denies many accusations in the Times series (which now stands at five articles), including assertions that TBN leaders Paul and Jan Crouch live separate lives in separate homes, that Paul Crouch engaged in homosexual activity with an employee, that the network's donors are mainly "lower income, rural Americans," and that the company's jet is used for the Crouches' personal trips. But the bulk of the release focuses on the organization's massive financial reserves.

The Times' William Lobdell characterized the Crouches' finances as "a life of luxury … that most of the ministry's supporters can only dream about." Lobdell said that TBN's assets of $583 million "have prompted questions about why the network continues to plead for contributions."

TBN's press release responds, "Because the nature and demands of TBN's growth create large capital and long-term contract cost demands, extensive cash reserves must be maintained. … TBN also explained to the newspaper that one of the hard-learned lessons for churches and charities nationwide following 9/11 is to create an endowment to ensure sufficient funds to cover whatever catastrophes may arise." (A Timesinfographic, however, shows that TBN's massive surplus didn't start with 9/11.)

"None of this balance or explanation found its way into the article," TBN legal advisor John Casoria said in the press release. "One cannot help but wonder why."

Actually, the Times did report, "Through TBN officials, [the Crouches said] said the ministry keeps raising money so it can avoid going into debt as it pays for TV stations, satellite time, and other ways to spread the Gospel."

Both the Times and TBN quote The Chronicle of Philanthropy in reference to the Crouches' salaries. Lobdell wrote the Crouches have "the highest salaries paid by any of the 12 major religious nonprofits whose finances are tracked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy." TBN responded, "According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, TBN's executive salary is in the mid-range of compensation among the larger nonprofit corporations in the country. TBN is among the 100 largest nonprofit organizations in America."

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September (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48