Supreme Court Will Announce Possible Hearing on Assisted Suicide Tomorrow

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Euthanasia activists and opponents will find out from the Supreme Court tomorrow if it will hear a case on whether federally controlled drugs can be used in assisted suicides in Oregon, the only state where the practice is legal. The Bush administration argues it can prevent the use of certain drugs in assisted suicides while the state of Oregon contends the decision violates its rights and the right of voters, who have approved the law on two separate occasions. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft ruled that the drugs used in assisted suicides in Oregon violated the Controlled Substances Act because killing a patient does not constitution a 'legitimate medical purpose.' All of the 171 assisted suicides in the state in the six years the law has been on the books have used the federally controlled drugs. An appeals court disagreed with Ashcroft and, in November, the Bush administration submitted an appeal of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Read the complete story.