Minnesota Supreme Court agrees to hear assisted suicide case
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
The fight over which charges — if any — can be pressed against Final Exit Network and two of its members in connection with the 2007 suicide of an Apple Valley woman is headed to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The high court agreed last week to hear Dakota County prosecutors’ appeal of an Appeals Court ruling in October that said that the Minnesota law that prohibits advising or encouraging suicide is unconstitutional. The Appeals Court ruling, however, did not dismiss charges of aiding and abetting suicide against the Florida-based group and members Lawrence Egbert and Roberta Massey.
In an order dated Dec. 17, the Supreme Court also agreed to hear the cross-appeal of Final Exit Network that all of the charges are unconstitutional and, thus, invalid.
In an additional order, all proceedings in the case were stayed pending a ruling in the case of William Melchert-Dinkel of Faribault, an ex-nurse who was convicted in 2011 of “advising and encouraging” the suicides of a man in England and a teenager in Canada. The Court of Appeals upheld the conviction last year. Oral arguments before the state Supreme Court were held in May. On average, Supreme Court rulings take about 4½ months.
Read more: http://m.startribune.com/?id=237430651
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