California Appeals Court Suspends Lower Court Ruling, Reinstates End of Life Option Act
A California appeals court today
granted emergency motions by the two terminally ill adults and a physician
represented by Compassion & Choices for an
“automatic stay” to immediately suspend a lower court’s judgment invalidating
the End of Life Option Act. The appeals
court also granted a motion by Attorney General Xavier Becerra for a
“discretionary stay” of the lower court ruling. The rulings reinstate the law,
effective immediately.
Similar to laws in Washington, D.C.
and six states, the California law gives mentally capable, terminally ill
adults with six months or less to live the option to request prescription
medication they can decide to take to end unbearable suffering and die
peacefully in their sleep.
On May 15, Riverside County Superior
Court Judge Ottolia granted the plaintiffs’ motion in the lawsuit to invalidate
the End of Life Option Act by Life Legal Defense Foundation, American Academy of Medical Ethics and
several physicians. On May 24, he issued a judgment that was required to actually invalidate the law. Judge Ottolia ruled the legislature violated the state
constitution by passing the law during a special session Gov. Brown proclaimed was
limited to health care, despite the fact that Gov. Brown signed the bill into
law.
The 4th District
Circuit of Appeal granted Compassion & Choices motion for an
“immediate stay”...
Source: blog.bioethics.net - Category: Medical Ethics Authors: Thaddeus Mason Pope, JD, PhD Tags: Health Care syndicated Source Type: blogs
More News: Academies | Blogging | Emergency Medicine | Health Management | International Medicine & Public Health | Lawsuits | Legislation | Medical Ethics | Men | Politics | Sleep Disorders | Sleep Medicine