Refusing Treatment,Refusing to Talk,and Refusing to Let Go: On Whose Terms Will Death Occur?

In re Quinlan, 137 N.J. Super. 227, 348 A.2d 801 (Ch. Div. 1975), rev'd, In re Quinlan, 70 N.J. 10, 355 A.2d 647 (1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 922 (1976).

Many otherwise unreported cases are summarized in Right-To-Die Court Decisions, published by the Society for the Right to Die, 250 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y.

Katz J. , The Silent World of Doctor and Patient (1984); Lidz C. Meisel A. Zerubavel E. Carter M. Sestak R. Roth L. , Informed Consent: A Study of Decisionmaking in Psychiatry (1984).

See Meisel A. , The Right to Die, §§ 5.10 (1989).

See Kennedy John F. Memorial Hosp. v. Bludworth, 432 So. 2d 611, 617 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1983).

“Most Doctors in Poll Would Let the Dying Die,” N. Y. Times, June 5, 1988, at 14, col. 1 (nat'l ed.) (citing American Medical News, June 3, 1988, at 9, col. 1).

In re Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 529 A.2d 434, 447 n.11 (1987) (citing Newark Star Ledger, Aug. 10, 1986, at 18, col. 4).

In re Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 529 A.2d at 447 n.11 (citing N.Y. Times, Dec. 2, 1986, at C/10, col. 2/6).

Cruzan v. Harmon, 760 S.W.2d 408 (Mo. 1988).

See, e.g., In re O'Connor, 72 N.Y.2d 517, 531 N.E.2d 607, 534 N.Y.S.2d 886 (1988).

Herbert v. Superior Court, 169 Cal. App. 3d 718, 215 Cal. Rptr. 477 (1985), which grew out of Barber v. Superior Court, 147 Cal. App. 3d 1006, 195 Cal. Rptr. 484 (1983).

See generally Meisel A. , The Right to Die §§ 8.11 (1989).

Id. §§ 9.10-9.13, 9.15-9.21; compare In re Conroy, 98 N.J. 321, 486 A.2d 1209 (1985) with In re O'Connor, 72 N.Y.2d 517, 531 N.E.2d 607, 534 N.Y.S.2d 886 (1988).

Although Florida has a natural death act, see Fla. Stat. Ann. 765.01-.15 (West 1986), it does not contain a provision for appointing a surrogate decision-maker. However, there is no reason why this could not be done under a general durable power of attorney. See Meisel A. , The Right to Die §§ 10.12 (1989).

Barber v. Superior Court, 147 Cal. App. 3d 1006, 195 Cal. Rptr. 484 (1983).

See, e.g., Ross v. Hilltop Rehabilitation Hosp., 676 F. Supp. 1528 (D. Col. 1987); Bartling v. Glendale Adventist Medical Center, 184 Cal. App. 3d 961, 229 Cal. Rptr. 360; Barber v. Superior Court, 147 Cal. App.3d 1006, 195 Cal. Rptr. 484; Spring v. Geriatric Authority, 394 Mass. 274, 475 N.E.2d 727 (1985); McVey v. Englewood Hosp. Ass'n, 216 N.J. Super. 502, 524 A.2d 450 (App. Div.), cert. denied, 108 N.J. 182, 528 A.2d 12 (1987); Estate of Leach v. Shapiro, 13 Ohio App.3d 393, 469 N.E.2d 1047; cf. Morgan v. Olds, 417 N.W.2d 232 (Iowa Ct. App. 1987); Strachan v. John F. Kennedy Memorial Hosp., 109 N.J. 523, 538 A.2d 346 (1988).

See, e.g., Estate of Leach v. Shapiro, 13 Ohio App.3d 393, 469 N.E.2d 1047 (1984).

See American Medical Association, Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Prolonging Medical Treatment 2.18-2.19, at 12–13 (1986), cited in Bouvia v. Superior Court (Glenchur), 179 Cal. App. 3d 1127, 225 Cal. Rptr. 297, 303-04 (1986); Corbett v. D'Alessandro, 487 So.2d 368, 372 n.1 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.), review denied, 492 So.2d 1331 (Fla. 1986); Brophy v. New England Sinai Hosp., Inc., 398 Mass. 417, 497 N.E.2d 626, 638 (1986); In re Farrell, 108 N.J. 335, 529 A.2d 404, 412 (1987); In re Grant, 109 Wash. 2d 545, 747 P.2d 445, 451 (1987).

See In re President & Dirs. of Georgetown College, 331 F.2d 1000 (D.C. Cir.), aff'd, 331 F.2d 1010 (D.C. Cir.), cert. denied, 377 U.S. 978 (1964); John F. Kennedy Memorial Hosp. v. Heston, 58 N.J. 576, 279 A.2d 670 (1971).

Superintendent of Belchertown State School v. Saikewicz, 373 Mass. 728, 370 N.E.2d 417, 425 (1977).

Id. at 426–27.

See, e.g., A.B. v. C., 124 Misc.2d 672, 477 N.Y.S.2d 281, 283 (1984).

See generally Beauchamp T. Childress J. , Principles of Biomedical Ethics 269–74 (2d ed. 1983).

See, e.g., Gray v. Romeo, 697 F. Supp. 580 (D.R.I. 1988); In re Morrison, 206 Cal. App. 3d 304, 253 Cal. Rptr. 30 (1988) (‘The issue of whether a court could compel physicians to act contrary to their ethical views is too profound for gratuitous discussion in a dictum.’); Bartling v. Glendale Adventist Medical Center, 184 Cal. App. 3d 961, 229 Cal. Rptr. 360 (1986); In re Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 529 A.2d 434 (1987); In re Requena, 213 N.J. Super. 443, 517 A.2d 869 (App. Div. 1986).

See In re Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 529 A.2d at 450 (“The evidence indicates that at this point it would be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to find another facility that would accept Mrs. Jobes as a patient. Therefore, to allow the nursing home to discharge Mrs. Jobes if her family does not consent to continued artificial feeding would essentially frustrate Mrs. Jobes' right of self-determination.”)

See, e.g., Custody of a Minor, 385 Mass. 697, 434 N.E.2d 601 (1982) (cardiopulmonary resuscitation); In re Dinnerstein, 6 Mass. App. 466, 380 N.E.2d 134 (1978) (cardiopulmonary resuscitation); In re Visbecr 210 N.J. Super. 527, 510 A.2d 125 (Ch. Div. 1986) (feeding tube).

See, e.g., Rasmussen v. Fleming, 154 Ariz. 207, 741 P.2d 674, 689 n.24 (1987); Bartling v. Superior Court, 163 Cal. App. 3d 186, 209 Cal. Rptr. 220, 225/26 n.4 (1984); Satz v. Perlmutter, 362 So.2d 160, 163 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1978); Brophy v. New England Sinai Hosp., Inc., 398 Mass. 417, 497 N.E.2d at 638; In re Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 529 A.2d at 444 n.9; In re Grant, 109 Wash. 2d 545, 747 P.2d at 452; but cf. Workmen's Circle Home & Infirmary for the Aged v. Fink, 514 N.Y.S.2d at 896 (permitting withholding of gastrostomy but requiring continuation of intravenous feeding).

President's Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine & Biomedical & Behavioral Research, Deciding to Forego Life-Sustaining Treatment 73–77 (1983).

Barber v. Superior Court, 147 Cal. App. 3d 1006, 195 Cal. Rptr. 484 (1983).

Gilbert v. State, 487 So.2d 1185 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App.), rev. denied, 494 So.2d 1150 (Fla. 1986).

See Woody , “Doctor Cleared of Murder Charge in Helping Cancerous Wife to Die,” N. Y. Times, Dec. 2, 1988, at 11, cols. 5-6 (nat'l ed.); Newsweek, Nov. 7, 1988, at 101.

259 JAMA 272 (1988).