Showing posts with label EOLOA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EOLOA. Show all posts

Friday, July 26, 2024

California: Plaintiffs Appeal Dismissal of Assisted Suicide Lawsuit Under the ADA and US Constitution

Diane Coleman, President and CEO of  NDY (Not Dead Yet) [pictured right]

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Today, the 34th Anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the the perfect day for an update on the groundbreaking lawsuit, United Spinal v. California, which challenges the California assisted suicide law as violations of the ADA and the U.S. Constitution's Due Process and Equal Protection provisions. The federal District Court dismissed the lawsuit in the spring and plaintiffs promptly gave notice that we would appeal. This week, United Spinal Association, Not Dead Yet and the other plaintiffs filed our appeal. Here is the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Disability Organizations and Individuals Partner to Appeal the Deadly and Discriminatory Public Policy of Physician-Assisted Suicide California Law Unlawful and Unconstitutional

LOS ANGELES, CA — [7/24/24] — Today, the United Spinal Association (“United Spinal”), Not Dead Yet (“NDY”), Institute for Patients’ Rights (“IPR”), Communities Actively Living Independent & Free (“CALIF”), and individual plaintiffs, Lonnie VanHook and Ingrid Tischer, filed an appeal to the 9th Circuit following the recent dismissal of their lawsuit challenging California’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA). The current state law permits physicians to prescribe lethal drugs to suicidal patients and has weakened many of the safeguards in the original law, fast-tracking death by suicide within 48 hours. The EOLOA, by design, remains unregulated by any California public entity, leaving patients and their loved ones at grave risk of harm and without recourse.