SUICIDE DOCTOR MAY APPLY TO PRACTICE IN CALIFORNIA.Byline: Luz Villarreal Daily News Staff Writer Dr. Jack Kevorkian's attorney said the so-called suicide doctor may seek a new medical license in California, depending on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on state control over assisted suicide assisted suicide: see euthanasia. . Assisted suicide is illegal in California, but Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County prosecutors say they have not had a case in years. The reason? It is difficult to prove an assisted suicide took place because unlike Kevorkian, few people are willing to go public with the deed, said Brian Kelberg, who handles such prosecutions in Los Angeles. The California Medical Board revoked Kevorkian's license on July 29, 1994, citing disciplinary action taken against him in Michigan and his admitted role in five assisted suicides there. They included one in which an Orange County man traveled to Michigan for help in ending his life. Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, challenged the revocation but stopped his efforts last year when it became clear that the federal courts would decide the issue of assisted suicide, said Mark Field, an attorney for Kevorkian. The Supreme Court is expected this summer to review two federal appeals courts rulings, each that gave terminally ill Terminally Ill When a person is not expected to live more than 12 months. Notes: Any gifts given out by the afflicted person at this time may be considered as a dispersion of the estate rather than a gift. , mentally competent people the right to seek help from a doctor in committing suicide. Those appellate courts struck down New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Washington state laws prohibiting physician-assisted suicide Noun 1. physician-assisted suicide - assisted suicide where the assistant is a physician assisted suicide - suicide of a terminally ill person that involves an assistant who serves to make dying as painless and dignified as possible . ``If the Supreme Court rules this summer and it's favorable, he can apply for a license at that time on the grounds that his old one should have never been revoked because what he did was perfectly legal,'' said Field. Regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, Kevorkian can reapply Re`ap`ply´ v. t. & i. 1. To apply again. reapply vi → volver a presentarse, hacer or presentar una nueva solicitud in July. Any physician who loses a license either through revocation or surrender may reapply for a new license three years after the date of enforcement, said Candis Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. , a spokesperson for the California Medical Board. ``Every case for reinstatement is deliberated on a case by case basis,'' said Cohen. ``(Kevorkian) along with any other physician can apply.'' Most assisted suicide cases never reach such notoriety, said Kelberg of the District Attorney's Office. That's because there are rarely cases to prosecute. ``As far as my unit, I do not believe we have had a case brought to my attention in the last several years as either an assisted suicide case or what would be deemed active euthanasia active euthanasia Medical ethics The practice of injecting a Pt with a lethal dose of medication with the primary intention of ending the Pt's life. Cf Active euthanasia. ,'' said Kelberg. ``I'm not surprised that when these events occur that there is no report of that to police of our office,'' he said. ``The people generally involved are in agreement to do this. There is no interest to report this to law enforcement.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion