Category Archives: Our News & Commentary Blog

Last week, this blog reported about scheduled oral arguments in front of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court regarding the limits on a guardian’s powers – specifically, whether or not guardians have the right to refuse life-preserving treatment – treatment needed to save the life of a person legally lacking decisionmaking capacity and who is neither dying … Continue reading Update on Oral Argument in Pennsylvania Supreme Court Guardianship Case →

The “Right to Die” Expands Into New Territory

May 13, 2010"end of life", crime and punishment, death penalty, euthanasia, legislation, life-ending decisions, media coverage, media issues, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality check, right to dieStephen Drake

Sometimes I think I’ve lost the capacity to be surprised by new developments. I tend to think I’ve grown so jaded that nothing that comes up can really surprise me. I think that in spite of the fact that I do get surprised on occasion. This week’s collision with surrealism came in the form of … Continue reading The “Right to Die” Expands Into New Territory →

Ms. Magazine Blogger Praises Kevorkian, Disses People With Disabilities, and Angers Some Feminists With Disabilities

May 11, 2010blog recommendations, bloggers, culture wars, feminism, Kevorkian, media coverage, Ms Magazine, Our News & Commentary Blog, reality checkStephen Drake

(Note – I’m still trying to process the briefs in the Pennsylvania Hockenberry case. No word on the oral arguments yet. I’m hoping for some reports and/or press coverage by tomorrow.) Last week, I was alerted about a blog entry on the HBO biopic You Don’t Know Jack that was published on the site of … Continue reading Ms. Magazine Blogger Praises Kevorkian, Disses People With Disabilities, and Angers Some Feminists With Disabilities →

Pennsylvania: New Month, New Oral Arguments in a New State

May 7, 2010court decisions, litigation, Our News & Commentary Blog, Pennsylvania, Surrogate Decisions & GuardianshipStephen Drake

Next week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments in a case we reported on due to an earlier court ruling over a year ago(from the mailing sent out the the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania): Set forth below is a summary of an important new decision by the Pennsylvania Superior Court regarding … Continue reading Pennsylvania: New Month, New Oral Arguments in a New State →

Followup on Betancourt v. Trinitas – Reports, Coverage and More

April 28, 2010betancourt v. trinitas, bioethics, court decisions, drawing a line, futility, litigation, new jersey, Our News & Commentary BlogStephen Drake

I wanted to give readers a followup on yesterday’s oral argument in Betancourt v. Trinitas. First of all, I talked to Nadina LaSpina and Danny Robert today about yesterday’s court proceeding. (this link goes to a 1998 interview with Nadina and Danny, who are activists and life partners.) Nadina and Danny told me that there … Continue reading Followup on Betancourt v. Trinitas – Reports, Coverage and More →