but we are going to begin in texas where a judge has ruled in the case of marlise munoz. she is brain-dead. and her family says she never wanted to be kept on machines like this. but because she is pregnant, the hospital has kept her on a ventilator. late today her husband asked a court for permission to disconnect the machine and the judge said yes. ed lavendera joins us now from dallas with what was said in the courtroom and what went into this ruling. e ed. reporter: well, john, it was an incredibly emotional experience for eric munoz and the parents of marlise munoz. after the arguments to the judge they were sobbing intensely, waiting for the judge to come back with his ruling. when the judge ruled in their favor, they continued the crying. eric munoz so emotional he could not even speak to reporters as he left the courthouse this afternoon. but essentially what the judge has ordered is for john peter
life support because that s exactly what she told them she wanted to do. this is a sad situation all the way around. we are relieved that eric munoz can now move forward with the process of burying his wife. reporter: yesterday a judge ruled that since munoz is brain dead, she does not have to be kept on life support just because she s pregnant. legally there is a distinction between being brain dead, which means you re legally dead, and being in a coma or a vegetative state. let s go back to the end of november, that s when munoz husband, found her unconscious. at that point she was 14 weeks pregnant. the hospital, though, kept her on life support to protect the life of the unborn child, per texas law. right now munoz is 22 weeks pregnant, but earlier this week, her family said the fetus is, quote, distinctly abnormal. munoz and her husband were paramedics and her husband said they both spoke about what to do in this circumstance.
the most graphic details saying his wife is, when he looks in her eyes she s soulless, she s no longer there. every time he touches her her bones crack and that he can smell the decaying organs coming huh of her flesh and it s a very graphic situation for the family and to have to relive these very painful details in the courtroom. erick munoz isn t commenting to the media but early on he was talking to the local media and he was very upset. he doesn t understand why the hospital has up until now refused to take his wife off that ventilator. he says, in his words, that the hospital is conducting a science experiment. miguel? just horrific. nick valencia in ft. worth for us. thank you very much. now, lawyers for marlise munoz family and those representing ft. worth s jon peters hospital scared off in court on friday making their case as to why the texas mom should be there kept on life support or be allowed to die. joining me now to discuss this is criminal defense attorney
resume now. he s out of jail but will his criminal charges put a damper on his nine-digit income and could he be deported? u.s. olympians are told to tone down their patriotism while in sochi. in one texas legal battle there are no winners. but it appears the family of marlise munoz may finally get what they want and be able to lay her to rest. the brain dead pregnant mother has been on a ventilator for the last 8 1/2 weeks now. john peter smith hospital refused to remove it saying that state law districts that life support should not be withdrawn from pregnant patients. now a judge has ordered the tubes be removed. cnn s nick valencia is live. nick, this ruling comes after the hospital conceded.
is misinterpreting this law. that it s applicable only to a living person. all of that was put to rest yesterday with the judge s decision when they agreed on crucial facts. both the hospital and family of munoz saying that the fetus is not viable and that marlise munoz has been legally brain-dead since november 28th. this has been months of wait and see for the family, victor and christi. nick, let me ask you, what arguments specifically were raised in court? reporter: it was a very dramatic day in court yesterday. a lot of very gruesome details that were released. and some of them coming from the lawyer of the family. eric munoz, this is the husband of marlise munoz, saying he could smell his wife s decaying body. that every time he touched her that she cracked. her organs were decomposing. that she has not been alive for some time. so as far as the munoz family is concerned, she should have been taken off the ventilator a long time ago.