A Right to Choose Death: The Judicial Trilogy of Brophy,Bouvia,and Conroy

See generally, Lo & Dorntrand, The Guiding Hand That Feeds; Caring for the Demented Elderly, New England Journal of Medicine 311: 402 (1984); Paris & Fletcher, Infant Doe Regulations and the Absolute Requirement to Use Nourishment and Fluids for the Dying Infant, Law, Medicine & Health Care 11: 310 (1983); Steinbock, Lynn, and Callahan, Must Patients Always Be Given Food and Water?. Hastings Center Report 13: 17 (1983).

Koop, Legislative History, Child Abuse Amendments of 1984, P.L. 98–457, 4 U.S. Code Cong. & Ad. News 2918, at 2927 (1985).

Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, September 11, 1986.

In the area of withholding or withdrawing nutrition and fluids, see, e.g., Severns v. Wilmington Medical Center, 425 A.2d 156 (Del. Ch. 1980); In the Matter of Hier, 18 Mass. App. Ct. 200, 464 N.E.2d 959 (1984); Barber v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 147 Cal.App.3d 1006, 195 Cal. Rptr. 484 (1983); Corbett v. D'Alessandro, No. 85-1052, Fla. Ct. App. (April 18, 1986), petition for rev. den., S.Ct. Fla. July 30, 1986. See generally, Annas, Fashion and Freedom: When Artificial Feeding Should Be Withdrawn, American Journal of Public Health 75(6): 685 (1985); Gostin, A Moment in Human Development: Legal Protection, Ethical Standards and Social Policy on the Selective Non-Treatment of Handicapped Neonates, American Journal of Law & Medicine 11(1): 31 (1985); Corbett, Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Treatment, JAMA 256 (19): 2673 (1986).

See, e.g., In re Lydia E. Hall Hospital, 116 Misc.2d 477, 455 N.Y.S.2d 706 (1982).

See, e.g., In re Colyer, 99 Wash.2d 114, 122, 660 P.2d 738, 743 (1983); In re Spring, 380 Mass. 629, 640, 405 N.E.2d 115, 123 (1980); In re Torres, 357 N.W.2d 332, 339 (Minn. 1984).

These appear to be one of the only interests that have actually been held to override the patient's privacy interest. These have all occurred in Jehovah's Witness blood transfusion cases. Application of the President and Directors of Georgetown College, Inc., 331 F.2d 1000 (D.C. Cir. 1964); Hamilton v. McAuliffe, 277 Md. 336, 353 A.2d 634 (1976); Powell v. Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, 49 Misc.2d 215, 267 N.Y.S.2d 450 (1965); Raleigh Fitkin-Paul Morgan Memorial Hospital v. Anderson, 42 NJ. 421, 201 A.2d 537, cert. denied, 377 U.S. 985 (1964).

In re Quinlan, 70 NJ. 10, 355 A.2d 647, cert. denied, sub nom, Garger v. New Jersey, 429 U.S. 922 (1976). See, e.g., In re Hamlin, 102 Wash.2d 810, 689 P.2d 738 (1983); John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Inc. v. Bludworth, 452 So.2d 921 (Fla. 1984).

Superintendent of Belchertown State School v. Saikewicz, 373 Mass. 728, 370 N.E.2d 417 (1977). See, e.g., In re Spring, 380 Mass. 629, 405 N.E.2d 115 (1980).

385 Mass. 697, 434 N.E.2d 601 (1982). See, e.g., In re Dinnerstein, 6 Mass. App. Ct. 466, 380 N.E.2d 134 (1978).

Brophy v. New England Sinai Hospital, 398 Mass. 417 (1986).

In re Conroy, 98 N.J. 321, 486 A.2d 1209 (1985).

Bolivia v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 179 Cal.App.3d 1127, 225 Cal.Rptr. 297 (Ct. App. 1986).

See, e.g., In re Jobes, 210 N.J. Super. 543, 510 A.2d 133 (1986) (rejecting appointment of a “life guardian” who would fight for the life of comatose patient and continuation of feeding jejunostomy tube implanted in her small intestine).

See, e.g., In re Conroy, 98 N.J. 321, at 371–72 (1985).

See, e.g., President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research, Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment (1983).

In Re Conroy, 98 N.J. 321 (1985).

Id. at 369. The other two Conroy tests are: the “limited objective” test, where the patient has not made an unequivocal statement of his or her preferences; and the “pure objective” (best interests) test, where there is an absence of any trustworthy evidence of the patient's views.

Bouvia v. The Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 179 Cal.App.3d 1172, 225 Cal.Rptr. 297 (Ct. App. 1986). See, Barber v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, 147 Cal.App.3d 1006, 195 Cal.Rptr. 484 (1983); Bartling v. Superior Court (Glendale Adventist Medical Center), 163 Cal.App.3d 186, 209 Cal.Rptr. 226 (1984).

In re Clark, 210 N.J.Super. 548, 510 A.2d 136 (1986); In re Visbeck, 210 N.J.Super. 527, 510 A.2d 125 (1986).

See, Capron, Care of Critically Ill and Terminally Ill Persons: Issues in Death and Dying, Law, Medicine & Health Care 14(3–4): 141 (1986).

See, Rasmussen v. Fleming, No. 2, CA-CIV 5622, slip op. at 12-13 (Ariz. Ct. App. June 25, 1986), quoting from AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs Statement 1986.

Brophy at 29, quoting from Massachusetts Medical Society resolution adopted July 17, 1985.

Supra note 16. See also Wanzer , The Physician's Responsibility Toward Hopelessly Ill Patients, New England Journal of Medicine, 310: 955 (1984); Dresser, Boisqubin, Ethics, Law and Nutritional Support, Archive 5 of Internal Medicine, 145: 122 (1985).

See, in re Requena, Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Morris County, Docket No. P-326-86E, Stanton, A.J.S.C., Sept. 24, 1986, affirmed by Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division, A-442-86T5, Oct. 6, 1986.