Supreme Court Scheduled to Hear Gonzales v. Oregon October 5, 2005

The fate of Oregon's landmark Death with Dignity Law now rests with the high court and a likely Chief Justice John Roberts.

For complete information, visit www.deathwithdignity.org, or contact Robert C. Kenneth, DDNC Communication and Education Manager at rkenneth@deathwithdignity.org or (503) 228-4415.

On October 5th, 2005, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in Gonzales v. Oregon to clarify whether the federal government can use the Controlled Substances Act to block certain state regulated medical practices like physician-assisted death, as in Oregon.

If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the federal government, the practical effect will be the nullification of the 11-year-old Oregon Death with Dignity Law, despite the fact that voters in Oregon twice affirmed support for this landmark law. And with recent polls showing two-thirds of Americans in favor of physician-assisted suicide, under strict guidelines, several states are watching the case closely as they consider similar laws to Oregon's.

Efforts to block the Oregon law began in 2001 with Attorney General John Ashcroft declaring that physician-aided death for dying patients is not a "legitimate medical purpose" under federal drug-control laws and that the Drug Enforcement Administration would investigate any physician or pharmacist who authorized medications to help hasten a patient's death. Ashcroft's directive countered a 1998 decision by then-Attorney General Janet Reno permitting Oregon doctors to assist in deaths under strict oversight.

The Death with Dignity National Center helped develop Oregon's landmark law and is the leader in the death with dignity movement. Through the years, the DDNC has successfully defended the Oregon law against all legal and political attacks. The DDNC continues its unflinching defense of the law in Gonzales v. Oregon this October 5.

We invite you to visit the DDNC Web site www.deathwithdignity.org, which will be updated daily with reports leading up to and following the Supreme Court hearing.

The site also provides comprehensive information regarding including Frequently Asked Questions, the law's history and safeguards, the DDNC's defense of the law against several legal and political attacks, PDFs of the legal briefs and other tools for media, legal, medical and individual researchers.