Jack Kevorkian

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Dr. Jack Kevorkian

Jack Kevorkian, M.D. (born Pontiac, Michigan, May 26, 1928), is a controversial American pathologist. He is most noted for publicly championing a terminal patient's "right to die" and claims to have assisted at least 130 patients to that end. He is famous for his quote "dying is not a crime." Imprisoned in 1999, he was serving out a 10 to 25 year prison sentence for second-degree murder in the 1998 poisoning of Thomas Youk, 52, of Oakland County, Michigan. He was paroled early in December 2006, due in part to a terminal illness from which he was suffering.[1]

Career

Kevorkian started advertising in Detroit papers in 1987 as a physician consultant for "death counselling." Between 1990 and 1998, Kevorkian assisted in the suicide of nearly one hundred terminally ill people, according to his lawyer Geoffrey Fieger. In each of these cases, the individuals themselves took the final action which resulted in their own deaths: voluntary euthanasia. Dr. Kevorkian allegedly assisted only by attaching the individual to a device that he had made. The individual then pushed a button which released the drugs or chemicals that would end his or her own life. Two deaths were assisted by means of a device which employed a needle and delivered the euthanizing drugs mechanically through an IV. Kevorkian called it a "Thanatron" (death machine). Other patients were assisted by a device which employed a gas mask fed by a canister of carbon monoxide which was called "Mercitron" (mercy machine). This became necessary because Kevorkian's medical license had been revoked after the first two deaths, and he could no longer get the substances required for "Thanatron".

On the November 24, 1998 broadcast of 60 Minutes, Kevorkian allowed the airing of a videotape he had made on September 17, 1998, which featured the voluntary euthanasia of Thomas Youk, an adult male with full decisional capacity who was in the final stages of ALS. After Youk provided his fully-informed consent on September 17, 1998, Kevorkian administered a lethal injection. This was novel to other patients as Kevorkian administered the injection himself as opposed to having Youk complete the process. This incited the district attorney to bring murder charges against him, claiming that Kevorkian single-handedly caused the death. Kevorkian filmed the procedure and the death and submitted it for broadcast on "60 Minutes."

During much of this period, Kevorkian was represented by attorney Geoffrey Fieger.

The son of Armenian immigrants, Kevorkian has no children and has never married.

Conviction and imprisonment

Kevorkian was tried numerous times over the years for assisting in suicides. Many of these trials took place in Oakland County, Michigan. In every instance prior to the Thomas Youk case, Kevorkian was acquitted.

Kevorkian was even beginning to gain some public support for his cause, as is evidenced by the defeat of Oakland County prosecutor Richard Thompson to David Gorcyca in the Republican primary. The result of the political election was attributed, in part, to the declining public support from the prosecution of Kevorkian and its associated legal expenses.

Kevorkian also demonstrated a flair for dramatic publicity stunts at this time, showing up to one trial in a powdered wig and protesting an incarceration pursuant to another trial by staging a hunger strike. He also wore a placard challenging the Oakland County prosecutor to bring him to trial for the death of Youk.

On March 26, 1999, Kevorkian was charged with second-degree homicide and also for the delivery of a controlled substance (administering a lethal injection to Thomas Youk). Unlike the prior trials involving an area of law in flux (assisted suicide), the law of homicide is relatively fixed and routine. Kevorkian, however, discharged his attorneys and proceeded through the trial pro se (representing himself). The judge ordered a criminal defense attorney to remain available at trial for information and advice. Inexperienced in law and persisting in his efforts to appear pro se, Kevorkian encountered great difficulty in presenting his evidence and arguments.

The Michigan jury found Kevorkian guilty of second-degree homicide. It was proven that he had directly killed a person because his patient was not physically able to kill himself. He was sent to prison in Coldwater, Michigan, to serve a 10-to-25-year sentence.

In the course of the various proceedings, Kevorkian made statements under oath and to the press that he considered it his duty to assist persons in their death. He also indicated under oath that because he thought laws to the contrary were archaic and unjust, he would persist in civil disobedience, even under threat of criminal punishment. Future intent to commit crimes, of course, is an element courts and parole boards may consider in deciding whether to grant a convicted person relief. Since his conviction (and subsequent losses on appeal), Kevorkian has been denied parole repeatedly.

In an MSNBC interview aired on September 29, 2005, Kevorkian said that if he were granted parole, he would not resume directly helping people die and would restrict himself to campaigning to have the law changed. On December 22, 2005, Kevorkian was denied parole by a board on the count of 7-2 recommending not to give parole.

In a recent interview in ABC News, Kevorkian's lawyer stated that Kevorkian is terminally ill with Hepatitis C, which he contracted during research into blood transfusions and is expected to pass away within a year. Kevorkian had applied for a pardon, parole, or commutation by the parole board or Governor Jennifer Granholm, and on December 13, 2006 it was announced that he would be paroled on June 1, 2007.

Artwork

Kevorkian was in an adult education oil painting course in Pontiac, Michigan in the 1960s. His art combines his knowledge of human anatomy with his fascination with death [2]. Michael Betzold described the 18 canvases he created in this course as "bold and strident, as critical and unforgiving, as pointed and dramatic as Kevorkian's own fighting words. They are strikingly well executed — stark and surreal — and frightening, demented and/or hilarious, depending on one's point of view".

Although the 18 original canvases have been lost, Kevorkian returned to his art in the 1990s to finance his crusade for assisted-suicide.

His art frequently returns to themes of hypocrisy, pain, war, death, self-destruction, suicide, despair and criticisms of contemporary culture and Christianity.

One of his paintings was used on the cover of Acid Bath's album Paegan Terrorism Tactics.

Kevorkian also released a jazz album entitled "A Very Still Life" on which he plays the flute.

Parody & Spoofs

• In the 1994 film Naked Gun 33 1/3, Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) suggests Frank (Leslie Nielsen) call Dr. Kevorkian after his wife Jane left him.

• In episode 1x04 of Monk, Sharona asks "Do you know who asked me out? I'll give you a hint... he's a doctor", to which Monk replies "Karvokian?"

• In one episode of Neurotically Yours, Pilz-E confuses a tool (an automatic blood pressure monitor) for a Kevorkian scarf.

• In one episode of the 1994 TV series The Critic, Duke Phillips is diagnosed with a terminal disease and decides to commit suicide with the help of "Dr. Krekorian". Jay Sherman eventually convinces Duke not to kill himself, to which "Krekorian" laments: "I've never lost a patient before".

• In the Married With Children episode "Love Conquers Al", after hearing of the Jeffersons' visit to a marriage counselor, Peggy suggests to Al that maybe this doctor might help their marriage, to which Al comments, "No, Peg, the only doctor that can do that is named Kevorkian." [3].

• American comedian Stephen Lynch's song "Grandfather", from his second album, Superhero, references Kevorkian. The song is about wishing his grandfather will pass away so he can inherit his riches. The line goes, "Oh grandfather die, before the fiscal year. Oh grandfather I/ wish Kevorkian were here."

• In an episode of The Simpsons, Grampa Simpson is depressed and sees a doctor about it. The doctor (Dr. Egoyan, like Kevorkian) suggests assisted suicide and hooks Grandpa up to the "DiePod", a spoof of the iPod.

• In an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the family is in a hospital after Uncle Phil has a heart attack. The doctor that talks to the family introduces himself as Dr. Kevarkian, to which the family reacts in shock. The doctor then informs them of the difference in spelling from "Kevorkian".

• On the Weekend Update segment of an episode of Saturday Night Live, Norm MacDonald mocked Dr. Kevorkian's decision to obtain a handgun license and purchase a pistol (for self-defensive purposes) saying "Alright, now he's just getting lazy."

• The industrial act Grid changed their name to Kevorkian Death Cycle as a statement of support to Kevorkian's cause.

• A recording name used by New Zealand singer-songwriter Jordan Reyne is Dr Kevorkian & the Suicide Machine.

• In one episode of That's My Bush, President Bush helps Kevorkian break out of jail to assist in the killing of his 24 year old cat.

• In the spoof film Wrongfully Accused, Dr. Kevorkian's name is paged over the intercom during a humorous scene in a hospital.

• In "A Hard Day's Night", the pilot episode of TV show Grey's Anatomy, Meredith says, "If I hadn't taken the Hippocratic Oath, I would Kevorkian her with my bare hands".

• In anime series Power Dolls, self-destruct system of Power Loaders' (mecha in the game) named "Kevorkian Mode". System displays a last message of "Good-Bye" before blowing itself up.

• In the South Park episode "Death", Kyle tells Stan about Jack Kevorkian (calls him Jack Laborkian in the episode) and that its alright to euthanize people (Stan is deciding if he should assist in his grandfather's suicide). In the episode "Quintuplets 2000 a protester turns pages on his sign, one of which reads "Free Kevorkian".

• In Mystery Science Theater 3000, in the episode Space Mutiny, upon the sight of an old man, "It's Kevorkian!" is shouted.

• In the computer game Blood, typing "Kevorkian" into the console kills Caleb (the player character).

• In one episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Detective John Munch comments "when the old steel trap starts to rust, it's time to call Kevorkian" while investigating the case of a senile woman.

• In the episode "The Suicide" in the TV series Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld asks "How long do you have to wait for a guy to come out of a coma before you ask his ex-girlfriend out?". Kramer replies "What, Gina? Why wait, why not just call Dr. Kevorkian". Jerry replies "You know I don't get that whole 'suicide machine', there's no tall buildings where these people live?"

• Dr. Kevorkian's Chamber of Torture is a band in Savannah, GA.

• In his record Xorcist, on the track "Liqour, Niggas & Triggas", artist X-raided mentions various mass suicides, and says "Let me play that Jack Kevorkian, I'm Dr. Death, assisting a suicide."

• In one instance in the comic strip The Far Side, the Grim Reaper is sitting in a movie theatre when he spots Dr. Jack Kevorkian sitting with his girlfriend and the reaper can't remember Kevorkian's name.

• In the parody film, Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth, the school nurse is named Kevorkian.

• In a Freestyle rap, artist Eminem says "Dr. Kevorkian has arrived to perform an Autopsy on you when you scream "I'm still alive!""

• In a Dilbert cartoon, Asok the Intern asks for "the home number of Dr. Kevorkian" after the Pointy-Haired Boss gives him a discouraging "pep talk".

• Public Enemy featured a song tiled "Kevorkian" on their album "There's a Poison Goin' On".

• In the children's television show Rugrats, the character Grandpa Boris takes out his cell phone, dials a number, and says "Hello, Dr. Kevorkian" during an especially boring session of family photo slide shows.

• Kurt Vonnegut's book God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, published in 1999, is a direct reference. In the book, Dr. Kevorkian assists Vonnegut's character in having near-death experiences which allow him to interview a series of dead historical figures.

• The Detroit-based punk band The Suicide Machines were once named "Jack Kevorkian and the Suicide Machines".

• ECW wrestler Mick Foley once claimed that he was Kevorkian's favourite wrestler. As shown in a clip from The Rise and Fall of ECW DVD.

• Canadian extreme metal band Strapping Young Lad featured a song titled "Velvet Kevorkian" on their album City.

References

• Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying by Derek Humphry. ISBN 0-385-33653-5.
• Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide (For and Against) by Gerald Dworkin, R. G. Frey (Series Editor), Sissela Bok, 1998: ISBN 0-521-58789-1.
• Physician-Assisted Suicide: The Anatomy of a Constitutional Law Issue by Arthur Gordon Svenson and Susan M. Behuniak. ISBN 0-7425-1725-X.
• Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die: The Interface of Social Science, Public Policy, and Medical Ethics by Barry Rosenfeld PhD, 2004 ISBN 1-59147-102-8.
• Forced Exit : The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder by Wesley J. Smith, 1997. ISBN 0-8129-2790-7.
• "A View to a Kill" by Wesley J. Smith, National Review Online, December 14, 2005, retrieved December 14, 2005.
• Appointment With Dr. Death by Michael Betzold

External links

• PBS.org Fronline Program "The Kevorkian Verdict: The Life and Legacy of the Suicide Doctor" -- with timeline and other info.
• A Summary of Dr. Kevorkian's Art Work
• Consider Yourself Stopped -- Judge Jessica Cooper's statement upon sentencing Kevorkian
• Final Exit
• The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition of Canada
• Should Dr. Kevorkian be considered a criminal? -- pro and con arguments