[JURIST] Pinellas Circuit Court Judge George Greer ruled Friday to extend the stay on the removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube for three more weeks. Greer made his decision after Schiavo's parents, who oppose the removal of the tube, asked the court to allow time for medical tests which might prove that Schiavo's mental capacity is more advanced than currently believed. Terri Schiavo's husband, Michael, still maintains that his wife does not want to be kept alive artificially, and is seeking court permission to remove the tube. AP has more.

In a related story, on the same day the stay blocking removal of Terri Schiavo's feeding tube was set to expire, an attorney for Schiavo's parents announced Friday that Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) [official website] is seeking a new 60-day delay in the removal of the life-sustaining device. The DCF's filing asked the court to delay the stay's expiration in order to allow time for the DCF to properly investigate claims that husband Michael Schiavo abused and neglected his severely brain-damaged wife. AP has more.