A jury in Michigan has acquitted Jack Kevorkian of violating a state law banning assisted suicide. Kevorkian’s defense was that he did not “intend” to kill the two persons he was accused of helping to kill, but wanted to alleviate their suffering. A related case occurred last week in San Francisco. In an 8-3 decision, […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (EP) – The US Supreme Court signaled both restraint and skepticism during oral arguments on physician-assisted suicide Jan. 8. Two cases before the Court seek rulings striking down state laws banning the practice of physician-assisted suicide. Six of nine justices were openly skeptical of the idea of physician-assisted suicide during oral arguments. Justice […]

An elderly Oregon woman who suffered from breast cancer took a prescription dose of barbituates recently, mixed the drugs with syrup, and washed down the concoction with a glass of brandy. She then drifted off to sleep. And never woke up. “I am looking forward to it,” said the woman, reportedly a grandmother in her […]

PONTIAC, Mich. (EP) — Physician-assisted suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian was sentenced to 10–25 years in prison for his role in the 1998 killing of Thomas Youk, whose videotaped death was broadcast on the CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes.” Youk suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease. “You had the audacity to go on national television, show the […]