Washington v. Glucksberg - Significance, Washington Law Challenged, Jack Kevorkian, Further Readings

Washington v. Glucksberg - Significance

The Court's decision made it clear that the Constitution does not protect a person's right to commit suicide, thus upholding the laws of a majority of states which prohibit a person from assisting another in committing suicide. Since the founding of the United States, a vast majority of states have upheld laws which prohibit a person from assisting another in committing suicide. Although not often…

Washington v. Glucksberg - Further Readings

Washington v. Glucksberg - Washington Law Challenged

Since its establishment as a U.S. territory in 1854, Washington had a law making it a crime to assist another in committing or attempting to commit suicide. In 1994, a group of doctors and terminally ill patients filed a suit against the state in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington challenging the constitutionality of the law. The district court found that terminally ill…

Washington v. Glucksberg - Jack Kevorkian

Dr. Jack Kevorkian, also known as the "suicide doctor," says "when your conscience says law is immoral, don't follow it." Kevorkian, a retired pathologist, claims to observe rigorous standards before conducting an assisted-physician suicide. However, others contend that he does not always follow his own procedures. Before assisting in a suicide, Kevorkian mandates that candidates receive extensive…