Massachusetts court rules against medically assisted death

By MARK PRATT
Associated Press

The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled that allowing doctors to prescribe a lethal dose of medication to mentally competent patients with terminal illnesses is not protected by the state constitution. The Supreme Judicial Court in Monday’s decision said it recognized the importance and significance of end-of-life decisions, but concluded that the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights does not protect physician assisted suicide, which may amount to manslaughter. The suit was filed in 2016 by a doctor with stage 4 prostate cancer and a doctor who feared prosecution on manslaughter charges if he prescribed end-of-life medications to terminally ill patients.