NewsTimes, South Africa
June 3 2011
Assisted Suicide Activist Jack Kevorkian Dies Unassisted
Friday, June 03, 2011 | Comments: 0
Assisted suicide activist Jack Kevorkian died early on Friday morning
at the Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan at the age of 83 after
experiencing kidney and heart problems.
Mayer Morganroth, his lawyer, told the Detroit Free Press : "It was
peaceful. He didn't feel a thing."
The Armenian-American pathologist, widely known as "Dr. Death" for
assisting over a hundred people to end their lives, has been a leading
advocate of the right-to-die lobby.
In 1998, on 60 Minutes, a videotape of Kevorkian practicing voluntary
euthanasia on Thomas Youk, who was suffering late stage Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis,was broadcast.
In this instance Kevorkian himself administered Youk's lethal
injection which was a drastic departure from earlier clients who
reportedly carried out the process themselves.
Unfortunately during the videotaping, Kevorkian had dared the
authorities to try to convict him or stop him from carrying out mercy
killings.
This incited prosecuting attorneys to charge Kevorkian with
second-degree murder and the delivery of a controlled substance.
Kevorkian proceeded with the trial representing himself.
A Michigan jury found him guilty of second-degree homicide.
The judge sentenced Kevorkian to serve 10-25 years in prison and told
him: "You were on bond to another judge when you committed this
offense, you were not licensed to practice medicine when you committed
this offense and you hadn't been licensed for eight years.
"And you had the audacity to go on national television, show the world
what you did and dare the legal system to stop you. Well, sir,
consider yourself stopped."
Kevorkian was sent to prison in Coldwater, Michigan where he spent 8
years before being paroled.
As a condition of his parole, he vowed not to assist in any suicides
but continued to campaign for the legislation to be changed.
HBO are releasing a film "You Don't Know Jack" in which Al Pacino
portrays Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
http://www.newstime.co.za/WorldNews/Assisted_Suicide_Activist_Jack_Kevorkian_Dies_Unas sisted/26523/
From: A. Papazian
June 3 2011
Assisted Suicide Activist Jack Kevorkian Dies Unassisted
Friday, June 03, 2011 | Comments: 0
Assisted suicide activist Jack Kevorkian died early on Friday morning
at the Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan at the age of 83 after
experiencing kidney and heart problems.
Mayer Morganroth, his lawyer, told the Detroit Free Press : "It was
peaceful. He didn't feel a thing."
The Armenian-American pathologist, widely known as "Dr. Death" for
assisting over a hundred people to end their lives, has been a leading
advocate of the right-to-die lobby.
In 1998, on 60 Minutes, a videotape of Kevorkian practicing voluntary
euthanasia on Thomas Youk, who was suffering late stage Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis,was broadcast.
In this instance Kevorkian himself administered Youk's lethal
injection which was a drastic departure from earlier clients who
reportedly carried out the process themselves.
Unfortunately during the videotaping, Kevorkian had dared the
authorities to try to convict him or stop him from carrying out mercy
killings.
This incited prosecuting attorneys to charge Kevorkian with
second-degree murder and the delivery of a controlled substance.
Kevorkian proceeded with the trial representing himself.
A Michigan jury found him guilty of second-degree homicide.
The judge sentenced Kevorkian to serve 10-25 years in prison and told
him: "You were on bond to another judge when you committed this
offense, you were not licensed to practice medicine when you committed
this offense and you hadn't been licensed for eight years.
"And you had the audacity to go on national television, show the world
what you did and dare the legal system to stop you. Well, sir,
consider yourself stopped."
Kevorkian was sent to prison in Coldwater, Michigan where he spent 8
years before being paroled.
As a condition of his parole, he vowed not to assist in any suicides
but continued to campaign for the legislation to be changed.
HBO are releasing a film "You Don't Know Jack" in which Al Pacino
portrays Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
http://www.newstime.co.za/WorldNews/Assisted_Suicide_Activist_Jack_Kevorkian_Dies_Unas sisted/26523/
From: A. Papazian