The Jack Kevorkian Trial

1124 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Ethics In Medical Profession

Hero or villain? Murderous or merciful? The jury in Jack Kevorkian, “the Suicide Doctor’s”, trial had to answer this question (Morganthau). Kevorkian was tried for the assisted suicide of Thomas Youk. The jurors had to decide whether to declare Kevorkian responsible for Youk’s death, make Youk responsible for his own fate, or find a compromise of the two. In Reginald Rose’s play Twelve Angry Men, a conflicted jury had to decide the verdict of an equally difficult murder case. Any member of the jury for Twelve Angry Men would find the Jack Kevorkian case full of conflicting ideas and would find it difficult to arrive a verdict.
Jack Kevorkian, who called himself the “intellectual heir of Einstein,” assisted in countless suicides; therefore, the Youk suicide was not his first case of euthanasia, assisted suicide, or his first time in court for his actions (Hosenball). According to Crimes and Trials of the Century, “His first trial was for Thomas Hyde- a landscape designer and construction worker with Lou Gehrigs disease which was terminal at age 29” (Chermak). Although Youk’s case was not Kevorkian’s first, it certainly was his most well known. Biography.com states “Kevorkian was prosecuted four times in Michigan for assisted suicides: he was acquitted in three cases and the fourth was declared a mistrial” (“Jack Kevorkian”). Clearly, the possible consequences of his crimes did not affect Kevorkian and he kept assisting people. Although he had many different federal offenses, Kevorkian was not severely punished for his actions until the court case involving Youk.
On May 26th 1999 twelve people of the jury found Jack Kevorkian guilty of murder in the second-degree. Dirk Johnson, a writer for the New York Times stated, “His widow, ...

... middle of paper ...

...es and Trials of the Century: Vol. 2. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007. Print.

Hosenball, Mark. "The Real Jack Kevorkian." Newsweek 122.23 (1993): 28. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

"Jack Kevorkian." 2014. The Biography.com website. Apr 15 2014

Johnson, Dirk. "Kevorkian Sentenced to 10 to 25 Years in Prison." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Apr. 1999. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

McHugh, Paul R. "The Kevorkian Epidemic." American Scholar 66.1 (1997): 15. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.

Morganthau, TomBarrett, Todd. "Dr. Kevorkian's Death Wish." Newsweek 121.10 (1993): 46. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

People v. Kevorkian. 248 Mich. App. 373, 639 N.W.2d 291, 2001 Mich. App. 225. State of
Michigan Court of Appeals. 1999. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Rose, Reginald. Twelve Angry Men:. N.p.: n.p., 1956. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Dr. Harold Glucksberg vs. The State of Washington

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    The case had a many important questions to it. In one question: is physician-assisted suicide morally, ethically, legally correct, and/or fair to anyone?

    Read More

  • Physician Aid-in-Dying (PAD): The Right to Choose

    1783 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sloss, David. "The Right to Choose How to Die: A Constitutional Analysis of State Laws Prohibiting Physician-Assisted Suicide." Stanford Law Review. 48.4 (1996): 937-973. Web. 2 March 2015.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Jurors in 12 Angry Men

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guilty or not guilty? This the key question during the murder trial of a young man accused of fatally stabbing his father. The play 12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose, introduces to the audience twelve members of a jury made up of contrasting men from various backgrounds. One of the most critical elements of the play is how the personalities and experiences of these men influence their initial majority vote of guilty. Three of the most influential members include juror #3, juror #10, and juror #11. Their past experiences and personal bias determine their thoughts and opinions on the case. Therefore, how a person feels inside is reflected in his/her thoughts, opinions, and behavior.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Argumentative Essay

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    On February 2nd, 2016, in trial of the Odysseus, the jury found the defendant guilty of both counts of unjustifiable first degree murder. While both sides of the trial had differing points, the defense had an overall weak and unconvincing case while the prosecution provided strong evidence of these unjustifiable murders using a variety of persuasive techniques.

    Read More

  • Importance of Dr. Kevorkian case for Medical Ethics

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Killing or assisting in suicide is not a morally indifferent act. Dr. Kevorkian says, “My intent was only to relieve their suffering, an act that inevitably killed the person.” He justified his acts, because most of his patients had Lou Gehrig’s Disease and could not feed or care for themselves (Murphy, 1999). Although only the good effect was intended, the bad effect (death) was the means to the good effect. The proportionality between the good and bad effect must be analyzed for each specific case. Dr. Kevorkian’s acts violated at least two of the principles of double effect, so they are not ethically justified.

    Read More

  • dr. death

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dr. Kevorkian was seen differently by many people. Some people thought that he was a good person while other people saw him as a criminal for helping people end their life. Due to his actions many laws have been created against assisted suicide. Even though he was charged with murders and for breaking the law he still kept on helping people. This showed that he cared a lot about his patients. The Kevorkian that started as a quiet religious child grew up to be a highly debatable person.

    Read More

  • Jack Kevorkian Research Paper

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted over a hundred people in ending their lives voluntarily. He was tried and convicted of second degree murder despite the fact that all of his patients willingly participated and asked him for help in ending their lives (“Jack Kevorkian”). What led to his demise was in one of his cases, unlike his prior patients, he actively participated in the death of the patient with a lethal injection (“Jack Kevorkian”). The man was too weak to do it himself and it was videotaped, which was used as evidence in his case against him. Dr. Jack Kevorkian helped multitudes of competent terminally ill patients, end their suffering and pain (“Jack Kevorkian”). Usually in assisted suicide cases the doctor prescribes a lethal dose of a prescription, but the patient must administer the medication on their own, with no help from anyone else including the physician. This prescription is only ordered after the patient has stated two different times on two different occasions with fourteen days in between and sometimes with written consent, that they agree to the decision to end their life with the help of their physician through a lethal dose of a prescription.

    Read More

  • Use of Persuasive Argument in 12 Angry Men

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    The movie “12 Angry Men” examines the dynamics at play in a United States jury room in the 1950’s. It revolves around the opinions and mindsets of twelve diverse characters that are tasked with pronouncing the guilt or innocence of a young man accused of patricide. The extraordinary element is that their finding will determine his life or death. This play was made into a movie in 1957, produced by Henry Fonda who played the lead role, Juror #8, and Reginald Rose who wrote the original screenplay. This essay will explore some of the critical thinking elements found within the context of this movie, and will show that rational reason and logic when used effectively can overcome the mostly ineffective rush to judgment that can be prevalent in a population. The juror that seemed interesting is Juror #8, who was played by Henry Fonda. Juror #8, or Davis, is an architect, the first dissenter and protagonist in the film. He was the first one to declare that the young man was innocent and he managed to convince the other jurors to see his point of view. Durkheim states that when we respond to deviance, it brings people together (Macionis, 2013, p. 159). We affirm the moral ties that bind us together, which was seen in the movie. At first, almost all of the jurors were so bent on convicting the young man based on their feelings, but they then started to analyze the facts and they came together to make their final decision.

    Read More

  • Comparing and Contrasting Juror 3 and Juror 8 from Twelve Angry Men

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play “Twelve Angry men”, the story line presents a variety of perspectives and opinions between twelve very different men. Some are more likely to be pointed out as prejudice, and others are more focused on reaching fair justice. Clearly, it is quite difficult for different people to vote ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ in unity when coming to a fair decision. In all of the twelve jurors, I have chosen Juror 3 and Juror 8 for contrast and comparison. I believe that Juror number 3 is a very opinionated man, with more differences than similarities comparing with Juror number 8.

    Read More

  • Euthanasia Essay - Assisted Suicide Must be an Option

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    Euthanasia, or mercy killing, can be defined as the "intentional termination of life by another at the explicit request of the person who dies" (Euthanasia). The infamous Dr. Kevorkian is known for assisting many people in their suicides. He was eventually tried and convicted for his role in this area. What crime did he commit? The people whom he assisted sought him out to help them have a calm and peaceful death under their own control. During Dr. Kevorkian's trial, questions were raised suggesting ...

    Read More

  • Assisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized

    2109 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to West’s Encyclopedia of American Law, between 1990 and 1999, a well-known advocate for physician assisted suicide, Jack Kevorkian helped 130 patients end their lives. He began the debate on assisted suicide by assisting a man with committing suicide on national television. According to Dr. Kevorkian, “The voluntary self-elimination of individual and mortally diseased or crippled lives taken collectively can only enhance the preservation of public health and welfare” (Kevorkian). In other words, Kevor...

    Read More

  • Ethics of Euthanasia

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    “In 1999, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a Michigan physician known for openly advertising that he would perform assisted suicide despite the fact that it was illegal, was convicted of second-degree murder” (Lee). The fact of the matter is human being...

    Read More

  • Physician Assisted Suicide Case study

    929 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is a fascinating case because it presents the distinction between a patient’s right to refuse treatment and a physician’s assistance with suicide. Legally, Diane possessed the right to refuse treatment, but she would have faced a debilitating, painful death, so the issue of treatment would be a moot point. It would be moot in the sense that Diane seemed to refuse treatment because the odds were low, even if she survived she would spend significant periods of time in the hospital and in pain, and if she didn’t survive she would spend her last days in the hospital. If Diane were to merely refuse treatment and nothing else (as the law prescribes) than she would not have been able to avoid the death which she so dearly wanted to avoid.

    Read More

  • The Death Denalty, An Annotated Bibliography To The Death Penalty

    1346 Words  | 3 Pages

    When someone is legally convicted of a capital crime, it is possible for their punishment to be execution. The Death Penalty has been a controversial topic for many years. Some believe the act of punishing a criminal by execution is completely inhumane, while others believe it is a necessary practice needed to keep our society safe. In this annotated bibliography, there are six articles that each argue on whether or not the death penalty should be illegalized. Some authors argue that the death penalty should be illegal because it does not act as a deterrent, and it negatively effects the victim’s families. Other scholar’s state that the death penalty should stay legalized because there is an overcrowding in prisons and it saves innocent’s lives. Whether or not the death penalty should be

    Read More

  • A Defense of Euthanasia

    1271 Words  | 3 Pages

    Urofsky, Melvin I. Lethal Judgments: Assisted Suicide and American Law. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2000. Print.

    Read More

More about The Jack Kevorkian Trial

Open Document