Schiavo in her last hours, says father

In its ruling, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said it had already ruled on most of the issues raised in the latest appeal, and that other issues raised did not apply to the case.

It marked the third time in four days the court had denied an emergency request made by Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler. Attorneys for the parents said they planned to appeal, but would wait until Saturday morning.

Doctors have said Schiavo would probably die within a week or two of the feeding tube being removed, which was done March 18 after a judge sided with her husband's argument that she would not want to be kept alive artificially.