Judge Abruptly Overturns California Aid in Dying Act
With us for this podcast is Attorney Jonathan Patterson from Compassion and Choices (the organization that fought to pass the bill). California’s End of Life Option Act was signed into law in 2015 by Governor Jerry Brown. The law allows doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to patients with six months or less to live.
Hundreds of Californians have already taken advantage of that option, including 111 individuals who died from taking the drugs in the first seven months of their availability.
Sadly, May 15 2018, a Riverside County Superior Court judge granted a motion by opponents of the California End of Life Option Act to invalidate the law.
UPDATE:On May 19, Riverside Superior Court issued a final ruling calling the law unconstitutional.
Compassion & Choices urges the California attorney general to immediately file an appeal with a state appellate court to suspend a lower court judgment today invalidating the End of Life Option Act. Appealing the ruling filed last night by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ottolia would preserve access to the law until the appeals process is completed or future ruling from the courts.
Unless the state successfully appeals the ruling in the next five days, eligible California residents will be prevented from utilizing medical aid in dying to peacefully end unbearable suffering.
