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PRESS RELEASE - September 23, 2002 PCC FILES FRIEND OF THE COURT BRIEF SUPPORTING APPEAL OF ASSISTED-SUICIDE CASE Physicians for Compassionate Care has filed a friend of the court brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) appeal of the Oregon assisted-suicide case. The DOJ appeal was submitted today. Physicians for Compassionate Care agrees with the DOJ that no state can unilaterally exempt itself from federal law. It argues that the orderly practice of medicine requires that federal laws concerning federally controlled substances be uniform and uniformly applied. It’s not about state’s rights. The Oregon law allowing doctor-assisted suicide works by forbidding Oregon doctors, and only Oregon doctors, from enforcing their ethics and the ethics of every national medical organization disallowing doctor-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is unnecessary and undermines trust in the doctor-patient relationship. PCC is hopeful that the Ninth Circuit Court will uphold this appeal as it upheld a similar appeal concerning federal laws against the distribution of marijuana even when an individual state allowed the practice. For further information contact Dr. Hamilton, spokesman for PCC, at 503-816-2224 or Wesley Smith, J.D., attorney and author of the PCC amicus brief, 510-635-1401. Cover |
