X-Message-Number: 20174 Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 12:07:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Driven FromThePack <> Subject: news story on Ted Williams legal case Excerpts from http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/268/metro/Suit_seeking_Williams_s_burial_may_collapse+.shtml >> The effort to remove Red Sox legend Ted Williams's body from cryonic freezing could collapse within days because the Williams family members behind it are struggling to pay their legal bills from the case, according to their lawyers. Williams's eldest daughter, Bobby-Jo Williams Ferrell, has spent about $50,000, they said - mostly from her retirement savings - ... The case could cost at least $60,000 more, estimate her lawyers. Yet, despite the national publicity about Ferrell's campaign, her fund-raising efforts have only netted $2,500 to date, they said. ''We are literally reevaluating things regularly every day,'' said her lawyer, John Heer, adding that Ferrell may abandon her legal effort before the case officially gets underway at a court hearing scheduled for next week in Florida. Citrus County Judge Patricia Thomas on Oct. 3 is to consider a motion by John-Henry Williams, ... who seeks to have Ferrell's challenge dismissed for a variety of technical legal reasons. ... The Ferrells and their lawyers yesterday were in intensive discussions over whether they should proceed, given the lack of funds, with next week's scheduled court hearing, said family lawyers. John-Henry Williams's lawyer, Robert Goldman, asked if his client had any problems with paying legal bills, said simply, ''No.'' Goldman said he will argue two major points in court next week: that Judge Thomas lacks legal jurisdiction over the case because Williams's body rests outside Florida; and that Ferrell does not have legal standing to make any requests regarding her father's body because she was written out of his will. ... Ferrell's lawyers said they plan to introduce evidence casting doubt on the pact's authenticity, including testimony from Florida nurses who say John-Henry could not have signed the pact alongside his father on Nov. 2, 2000. That day, the nurses told Ferrell's lawyers, a chicken pox-infected John- Henry was barred from his father's intensive care suite to protect other patients from infection. Bobby-Jo Ferrell recently established a fund-raising Web site, called ''Ted Williams' Last Wish,'' that has raised only $2,500 over the past month, mostly in donations ranging from $10 to $25. Appeals to wealthy and prominent friends of the Red Sox star have also netted little, said Heer. >> [Anyone have the URL for her website?] >> ''Their whole ploy was to break me down. Without fan support that will probably happen,'' said Ferrell. ''John-Henry has unlimited resources. He could tie me up in court for many years. He has the golden pot.'' Raja Mishra can be reached at >>>> ====== __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=20174