Assisted Suicide — the ethical and legal issues

Listen

Guests:  David Casarett and Thaddeus Pope

Philadelphia-area nurse Barbara Mancini has been charged with murdering her 93-year old father after she handed him a bottle of morphine. Her father, Joe Yourshow, was found by a hospice nurse shortly after he took the pills and was given a drug despite a do not resuscitate order. He died several days later in the hospital. The facts surrounding the case and the charges against Mancini are murky and they all come down to the question of intent – did she intend to relieve her father’s pain or help him end his life? We’ll explore the legal and ethical issues the case raises with two guests — University of Pennsylvania hospice physician DAVID CASARETT and Hamline University law professor THADDEUS POPE.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal