Friday, May 25, 2018

Judgment Entered Declaring Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia Law Unconstitutional & Prospectively Prohibiting Use

Alexandra Snyder, Esq.
Yesterday, Riverside County Judge Daniel A. Ottolia entered judgment declaring California's assisted suicide/euthanasia law void as unconstitutional. The judgment states:
The Court held the End of Life Option Act ("Act") was passed by a special session of the Legislature in violation of Article IV § 3(b) of the California Constitution because the Act is not encompassed by any "reasonable construction" of the Proclamation granting the special session the authority to legislate. The Court therefore held that the Act was void as unconstitutional.
The judgment also states:
The Court further permanently enjoined Defendant State of California from recognizing or enforcing the Act and permanently enjoined the District Attorney of Riverside County ("District Attorney") from recognizing any exceptions the Act creates to existing criminal law in the exercise of the District Attorney's criminal enforcement duties.
The order was entered pursuant to the motion of plaintiffs Sang-Hoon Ahn, MD, et al, represented by Alexandra Synder, Esq., Larson O'Brien LLP and Life Legal Defense Foundation.