Health Law Keyed to Furrow
Washington v. Glucksberg
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- Topic: Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.
- Parties: Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.
- Procedural Posture & History: Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.
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- Facts: What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case. Review the Facts of this case here:
Glucksberg (Plaintiff) sued the state of Washington (Defendant), claiming that its prohibition against causing or aiding a suicide was an offense to the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Plaintiff asserted the existence of a liberty interest protected by the Fourteenth Amendment that extends to a personal choice by a mentally competent, terminally ill adult to commit physician-assisted suicide. The district court agreed, and concluded that the statute was unconstitutional as it placed an undue burden on the exercise of that constitutionally protected interest. A panel of the court of appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed. The Ninth Circuit heard the case en banc again, reversed the panel's decision, and affirmed the district court. The court decided that the statute was unconstitutional as applied to competent adults who are terminally ill and wish to bring upon death sooner by using medication prescribed by their doctor. Certiorari was granted by the United States Supreme Court.
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