WASHINGTON, November 9, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – US Attorney General John Ashcroft requested Tuesday that the US Supreme Court hear an appeal of the May federal court ruling upholding Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law. Tuesday was the deadline for filing an appeal. In August, Ashcroft’s request for an appeal of a May ruling upholding the law was rejected. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that a majority of 25 judges had voted against holding an appeal. In May, Attorney General John Ashcroft had challenged Oregon’s physician-assisted suicide law, arguing that the prescribing of lethal medications by doctors was in contravention of the federal Controlled Substances Act. Two of three state judges disagreed, arguing that the regulation of medical practice is outside the jurisdiction of the federal government. The Justice Department requested a new decision, because there were only three judges that decided the case—they requested at minimum a full panel of 11 judges revisit the hearing.
More than 170 Oregonians have succumbed to physician-assisted suicide since the law was introduced in 1998. The Supreme Court will announce in early 2005 whether it will hear the appeal. See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage: Dept of Justice Appeals Oregon Assisted Suicide Ruling https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/jul/04072003.html Oregon Assisted Suicide Headed for Supreme Court https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04082305.html Appeals Court Rejects Justice Department Request to Reconsider Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/aug/04081705.html tv