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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 28 august 2019

New Jersey court ruling lets assisted suicide go ahead

By MIKE CATALINI But Judge Paul Innes put a seventh state allowing the must be deemed an adult have an opportunity to the
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New hold on the law Aug. 14. practice. Maine enacted a resident of New Jersey who decision back. At least one
Jersey can move ahead Glassman, a medical doc- similar law in June, becom- can make such a decision of the requests must be in
with a new law allowing tor practicing in New Jersey ing the eighth. and voluntarily expresses a writing and signed by two
terminally ill patients to seek and whose suit identified Two doctors musts sign off wish to die. witnesses. In 1997, Oregon
life-ending drugs, a state him as an Orthodox Jew, on the request for life-end- The law mandates patients became the first state
appeals court ruled Tues- had argued the law could ing drugs under the law. request the medication to provide an end-of-life
day, overturning a lower compel him to violate his And the terminally ill patient twice and says they must option.q

In this Aug. 14, 2019 file photo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy
speaks to reporters in Newark, N.J.
Associated Press

court's temporary hold on religious and professional
the law. morals.
Judges Carmen Messano But the appeals court was
and Arnold Natali ruled unconvinced, saying Glass-
Tuesday that a state Supe- man didn't have standing
rior Court "abused its dis- to assert his claims on be-
cretion" in blocking the law half of other doctors, pa-
earlier this month. tients or interested family
"We conclude the court members.
failed to consider ad- "We fail to discern how the
equately the interests of administrative function of
qualified terminally-ill pa- transferring those docu-
tients, who the Legislature ments constitutes a matter
determined have clearly of constitutional import, or
prescribed rights to end an act contrary to a physi-
their lives consistent with cian's professional obliga-
the Act," the appeals court tions," the court wrote.
wrote in its opinion. Grohmann declined to
Rich Grohmann, an attor- comment beyond say-
ney for Dr. Yosef Glassman ing his client was awaiting
who brought the lawsuit, word on whether the state
says they're appealing to Supreme Court would take
the state Supreme Court. up the case.
New Jersey's Medical Aid Democratic Gov. Phil Mur-
in Dying for the Terminally phy signed the bill in April,
Ill Act took effect Aug. 1. making New Jersey the