http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10891536/
High court upholds Oregon assisted-suicide law
6-3 majority says state powers trump federal authority
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:14 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Oregon's one-of-a-kind
physician-assisted suicide law, rejecting a Bush administration attempt
to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.
Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives
of more than 200 seriously ill people trumped federal authority to
regulate doctors.
That means the administration improperly tried to use a federal drug law
to prosecute Oregon doctors who prescribe overdoses. Then-Attorney
General John Ashcroft vowed to do that in 2001, saying that
doctor-assisted suicide is not a "legitimate medical purpose."
Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the federal
government does, indeed, have the authority to go after drug dealers and
pass rules for health and safety.
But Oregon's law covers only extremely sick people - those with
incurable diseases, whom at least two doctors agree have six months or
less to live and are of sound mind.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Oregon’s one-of-a-kind
physician-assisted suicide law, rejecting a Bush administration attempt
to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.

Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives
of more than 200 seriously ill people trumped federal authority to
regulate doctors.

That means the administration improperly tried to use a federal drug law
to prosecute Oregon doctors who prescribe overdoses. Then-Attorney
General John Ashcroft vowed to do that in 2001, saying that
doctor-assisted suicide is not a “legitimate medical purpose.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the federal
government does, indeed, have the authority to go after drug dealers and
pass rules for health and safety.

But Oregon’s law covers only extremely sick people — those with
incurable diseases, whom at least two doctors agree have six months or
less to live and are of sound mind.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10891536/

High court upholds Oregon assisted-suicide law
6-3 majority says state powers trump federal authority

BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:14 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Oregon’s one-of-a-kind
physician-assisted suicide law, rejecting a Bush administration attempt
to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.

Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives
of more than 200 seriously ill people trumped federal authority to
regulate doctors.

That means the administration improperly tried to use a federal drug law
to prosecute Oregon doctors who prescribe overdoses. Then-Attorney
General John Ashcroft vowed to do that in 2001, saying that
doctor-assisted suicide is not a “legitimate medical purpose.”

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said the federal
government does, indeed, have the authority to go after drug dealers and
pass rules for health and safety.

But Oregon’s law covers only extremely sick people — those with
incurable diseases, whom at least two doctors agree have six months or
less to live and are of sound mind.

© 2006 The Associated Press

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Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a cornucopia of splinters.