Long before Terri Schiavo became a household name, conservatives complained that the US judiciary was out of touch and out of control.

But a series of recent court rulings in the “right-to-die” case of the severely brain-damaged Florida woman is intensifying their dissatisfaction. The growing anger will add fuel to an already heated fight over President George W. Bush's nominations to the federal bench, as well as future debates over filling any vacancies on the Supreme Court.