Jack Kevorkian

Jack Kevorkian (1928–2011) was an American physician and euthanasia advocate who helped terminally ill people end their lives and became the focus of major legal and ethical disputes.

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Oregon Death with Dignity Act: A 1997 Oregon law permitting eligible terminally ill adults to obtain medication for self-administration to end life. It established a regulated model distinct from Kevorkian’s unsanctioned practice.
Physician-assisted suicide: A practice in which a physician provides a patient with the means to end their own life. Kevorkian’s machines enabled patients to initiate the fatal action themselves.
Janet Adkins: A woman with Alzheimer’s disease who died in 1990 using Jack Kevorkian’s assisted-suicide machine. Her death brought Kevorkian national attention and prompted a criminal investigation.
Euthanasia laws: Laws that regulate or prohibit intentional life-ending practices in medical settings. Kevorkian acted outside the legal authorization systems that govern euthanasia in some jurisdictions.
Michigan v. Kevorkian: A series of Michigan court proceedings concerning Jack Kevorkian’s assistance in patients’ deaths. These cases tested whether his conduct violated Michigan law.
Euthanasia: The intentional ending of a person’s life to relieve suffering, typically in a medical context. Kevorkian framed his work within a broader debate over euthanasia.
Geoffrey Fieger: An American lawyer and politician who represented Jack Kevorkian in several high-profile cases. Fieger became the public legal defender of Kevorkian’s campaign.
Palliative care: Care that relieves suffering and improves quality of life for people with serious illness. It offers a medical response to suffering without intentionally ending life.
People v. Kevorkian: A Michigan Supreme Court decision addressing the legality of physician-assisted suicide under state law. The ruling clarified that assisted suicide was not constitutionally protected in Michigan.
Thanatron: A device designed by Jack Kevorkian to let a user self-administer lethal drugs. Its operation became central to the distinction between assistance and direct administration.