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Article: Washington v. Glucksberg
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- Dictionary of American History
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WASHINGTON V. GLUCKSBERG
WASHINGTON V. GLUCKSBERG.
This case (521 U.S. 702 [1997]) addressed the question of whether or not Washington State could constitutionally prohibit doctors and others from assisting people in committing suicide. The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the state's ban violated the due process rights of the plaintiffs, who were in the terminal phases of painful illnesses and who desired the aid of their doctors in ending their ordeals. The Supreme Court unanimously over-turned the Ninth Circuit.
Writing for the Court, Chief Justice William Rehnquist declared an examination of the "nation's history, legal traditions, and practices" revealed that an ...