Definitions U.S. Historical Perspective and Current Trends Alaska Alaska Chronology California California Chronology California Death With Dignity Act Florida Florida Chronology Hawaii Hawaii Chronology Maine Maine Chronology Michigan Kevorkian Chronology Michigan Chronology Proposal B - Michigan's Ballot Initiative on Assisted Suicide New Hampshire New Hampshire Aid-in-Dying Act New Hampshire Chronology New York New York Chronology Oregon 1st Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (1998) 2nd Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (1999) 3rd Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (2000) 4th Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (2001) 5th Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (2002) Background of PAS in Oregon Eighth Annual Report on Assisted Suicide in Oregon. Executive Summary of the 5th Annual Report on Oregon's Death With Dignity Act (2002) How Do Oregon Psychologists View Their Role in Physician-Assisted Suicide? Measure 16 - Oregon Death With Dignity Act Oregon Chronology Oregon Physicians Attitudes About and Experiences With End-of-Life Care Since Passage of the Oregon Death With Dignity Act Oregon's Assisted Suicide Experience: Safeguards Don't Work Physician-Assisted Suicide: Reflections on Oregon's First Case Suicide in the West The Oregon Report: Don't Ask, Don't Tell Vermont Vermont Chronology Washington Initiative 119 - Washington Death With Dignity Act Washington Chronology |
Washington Chronology 1991
- Washington Citizens for Death with Dignity indicated they had collected about 212,000 signatures on an initiative petition to place a Death with Dignity Act on the Washington ballot. The initiative would have legalized physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.
- Washington Citizens for Death with Dignity submitted 223,000 signatures for their ballot initiative, which was later designated as Initiative 119 for the November election.
- By a vote of 54% to 46%, the citizens of Washington rejected Initiative 119.
1994
- Compassion in Dying, a Washington state organization committed to assisting people in their suicides, filed suit in federal court to have the state's ban on assisted suicide ruled unconstitutional. Eventually, this case was known as Washington v. Glucksberg.
- U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein struck down Washington's ban on assisted suicide, ruling that it unconstitutionally infringed on the rights of the terminally ill. Judge Rothstein cited the privacy rights and liberty interests referenced in the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in the Casey and Cruzan cases.
1995
- The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, by a 2 to 1 vote, reversed Judge Rothstein's decision. The court found no constitutionally protected right to assisted suicide and upheld Washington's ban on assisted suicide.
- A full panel (en banc) of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit re-heard arguments in the case that challenged the constitutionality of Washington's assisted suicide ban.
1996
- The full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down Washington's assisted suicide ban. The court ruled there was a constitutional right to assisted suicide for terminally ill persons.
- The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the assisted suicide cases of Washington v. Glucksberg from the State of Washington and Vacco v. Quill from the State of New York.
1997
- The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the assisted suicide cases from New York and Washington. The justices unanimously ruled there is no "constitutional right to assisted suicide." The court left it up to individual states to pass laws regarding assisted suicide.
Posted on June 26, 2004. |
