Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of murder 25 years ago today: Examining the mixed legacy of a fighter for patient autonomy

Dr. Kevorkian was convicted of murder 25 years ago today: Examining the mixed legacy of a fighter for patient autonomy 
Reason, by Jeffrey A. Singer; 3/26/24
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Dr. Jack Kevorkian's conviction of second-degree murder for performing euthanasia on Thomas Youk, a Michigan man suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease. ... Kevorkian, a medical pathologist, had been defying state laws by engaging in assisted suicide—he claimed to help more than 130 people die— often using machines. But this was different. Kevorkian was not assisting a suicide. Kevorkian videotaped himself injecting Youk with lethal chemicals. He was doing all the work. And despite having received Youk's informed consent, the Michigan Court considered it murder. ... Today, physician-assisted suicide is legal in 11 jurisdictions: California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.  ... Autonomous adults have the right to govern their bodies freely, provided they respect the equal rights of others. ... Active and passive euthanasia are grim exercises for physicians like me who decided to become doctors because we wanted to save lives. ... 
Editor's Note: Read more from this article that provides significant contexts for today's highly controversial decisions: historical, legal, medical, ethical, and geographical (international).