who was kevorkians lawyer

by Prof. Macey Flatley 10 min read

Geoffrey Fieger

Who is Jack Kevorkian's lawyer?

Fieger served as the defense attorney for Jack Kevorkian and as the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for governor of Michigan in 1998 . Fieger grew up in Oak Park, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit, Michigan, the son of June Beth (née Oberer) and Bernard Julian Fieger.

What did Dr Kevorkian do?

In the 1980s, Kevorkian wrote a series of articles for the German journal Medicine and Law that laid out his thinking on the ethics of euthanasia. In 1987, Kevorkian started advertising in Detroit newspapers as a physician consultant for "death counseling".

Did Kevorkian represent himself in his murder trial?

On March 26, 1999, a jury began deliberations in the first-degree murder trial of Kevorkian. He had discharged his attorneys and proceeded through the trial representing himself, a decision he later regretted. The judge ordered a criminal defense attorney to remain available at trial as standby counsel for information and advice.

What language did Kevin Kevorkian speak?

Kevorkian was a child prodigy. He taught himself multiple languages, including German, Russian, Greek, and Japanese. As such, he was often alienated by his peers. Kevorkian graduated from Pontiac Central High School with honors in 1945, at the age of 17.

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Who is Jeffrey Fieger?

In cases that made global headlines, Fieger is retained to represent Dr. Jack Kevorkian in six doctor-assisted suicide murder trials that put a spotlight on the issue. Geoffrey is a tireless advocate for the issue. Kevorkian was acquitted in all those trials when Geoffrey represented him.

Who is Fieger suing?

(AP) - Attorney Geoffrey Fieger is filing two $100 million lawsuits related to the Oxford High School shooting. The Detroit attorney and former candidate for Michigan governor is filing the separate cases in federal court on behalf of Jeffrey and Brandi Franz for their daughters. Riley, 17, was shot in the neck on Nov.

Who defended Kevorkian?

GEOFFREY FIEGERGEOFFREY FIEGER & DR. Fieger successfully defended Kevorkian through seven murder trials, and became nationally known...

What is Geoffrey Fieger famous for?

He's been the star of the Fox series, Power of Attorney, and of the CBS radio program, Fieger Time. He appears regularly on CNN, Fox, MSNBC and other networks, commenting on various legal issues and cases.

How old is Jeffrey Fieger?

71 years (December 23, 1950)Geoffrey Fieger / Age

How old is Sam Bernstein?

About 52 years (1970)The Sam Bernstein Law Firm / Age

What did Dr Kevorkian use?

The ex-pathologist served eight years in prison for a lethal injection, but many of his 130 assisted suicides were carried out with carbon monoxide.

Is Jeffrey Fieger married?

Kathleen FiegerGeoffrey Fieger / Spouse

Is Geoffrey Fieger a Republican?

Democratic PartyGeoffrey Fieger / PartyThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. It was founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Since the 1860s, its main political rival has been the Republican Party. Wikipedia

Is Doug Fieger related to Jeffrey Fieger?

Doug was the younger brother of Detroit attorney Geoffrey Fieger (most famous for representing Jack Kevorkian), who confirmed Doug's death to The Detroit News. Fieger was born and raised in the 9 Mile/Greenfield area of Oak Park, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit.

Who is Jack Kevorkian?

Jack Kevorkian was a U.S.-based physician who assisted in patient suicides, sparking increased talk on hospice care and "right to die" legislative action.

Why was Kevorkian imprisoned?

Kevorkian was disappointed, telling reporters that he wanted to be imprisoned in order to shed light on the hypocrisy and corruption of society.

How did Kevorkian help Adkins?

Kevorkian agreed to assist her in a public park, inside his Volkswagen van. Kevorkian attached the IV, and Adkins administered her own painkiller and then the poison. Within five minutes, Adkins died of heart failure. When the news hit media outlets, Kevorkian became a national celebrity -- and criminal.

Why did Kevorkian use the eyes?

He made regular visits to terminally ill patients, photographing their eyes in an attempt to pinpoint the exact moment of death. Kevorkian believed that doctors could use the information to distinguish death from fainting, shock or coma in order to learn when resuscitation was useless.

How long was Jack Kevorkian in jail?

That April, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison with the possibility of parole.

What grade did Kevorkian go to?

Kevorkian was promoted to Eastern Junior High School when he was in the sixth grade, and by the time he was in high school he had taught himself German and Japanese.

Where was Jack Kevorkian born?

Early Life. Jack Kevorkian was born Murad Kevorkian on May 26, 1928, in Pontiac, Michigan, the second of three children born to Armenian immigrants Levon and Satenig Kevorkian.

Who is Jack Kevorkian?

Euthanasia medicine. Murad Jacob "Jack" Kevorkian (May 26, 1928 – June 3, 2011) was an American pathologist and euthanasia proponent . He publicly championed a terminal patient's right to die by physician-assisted suicide, embodied in his quote, "Dying is not a crime". Kevorkian said that he assisted at least 130 patients to that end.

Where was Kevorkian born?

Kevorkian was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on May 26, 1928, to Armenian immigrants from present-day Turkey. His father, Levon (1887–1960), was born in the village of Passen, near Erzurum, and his mother, Satenig (1900–1968), was born in the village of Govdun, near Sivas. His father left Armenia in the Ottoman Empire and made his way to Pontiac in 1912, where he found work at an automobile foundry. Satenig fled the Armenian genocide of 1915, finding refuge with relatives in Paris and eventually reuniting with her brother in Pontiac. Levon and Satenig met through the Armenian community in their city, where they married and began their family. The couple had a daughter, Margaret, in 1926, followed by son Murad, and their third and last child, Flora.

What was the name of the device that Kevorkian used to help people?

Kevorkian called the device a " Thanatron " ("Death machine", from the Greek thanatos meaning "death"). Other people were assisted by a device which employed a gas mask fed by a canister of carbon monoxide, which Kevorkian called the " Mercitron " ("Mercy machine").

How did Kevorkian die?

Kevorkian had struggled with kidney problems for years. He was diagnosed with liver cancer, which "may have been caused by hepatitis C ," according to his longtime friend Neal Nicol. Kevorkian was hospitalized on May 18, 2011, with kidney problems and pneumonia. Kevorkian's condition grew rapidly worse and he died from a thrombosis on June 3, 2011, eight days after his 83rd birthday, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. According to his attorney, Mayer Morganroth, there were no artificial attempts to keep him alive and his death was painless. Kevorkian was buried in White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy, Michigan.

What was the name of the man who was euthanized for ALS?

In 1998, Kevorkian was arrested and tried for his direct role in a case of voluntary euthanasia on a man named Thomas Youk who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS. He was convicted of second-degree murder and served 8 years of a 10-to-25-year prison sentence.

Why did Kevorkian find it difficult to follow his "exacting guidelines"?

However, Fieger stated that Kevorkian found it difficult to follow his "exacting guidelines" because of "persecution and prosecution", adding, " [H]e's proposed these guidelines saying this is what ought to be done. These are not to be done in times of war, and we're at war.".

What page does Kevorkian write "Medicide, the Goodness of Planned Death"?

On page 214 of Prescription: Medicide, the Goodness of Planned Death, Kevorkian wrote that assisting "suffering or doomed persons [to] kill themselves" was "merely the first step, an early distasteful professional obligation...

Who was the attorney that defended the case of Fieger?

Fieger was defended by famed defense attorney Gerry Spence, who announced this would be his last case. A jury acquitted Fieger of all 10 charges, and Fieger's co-defendant and law partner Ven Johnson on five charges, on June 2, 2008. Johnson stated that the charges were politically motivated.

Who was the man who was tried as an adult?

Abraham, who was tried as an adult, was convicted of the crime in 1999, and released from prison in 2007. The family of Scott Amedure in a 1999 wrongful death and negligence suit against The Jenny Jones Show. The family of Isaiah Shoels, who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre.

Who killed Isaiah Shoels?

The family of Isaiah Shoels, who was killed in the Columbine High School massacre. Ralf Panitz, accused of killing his ex-wife Nancy Campbell-Panitz in July 2000, following their appearance along with Panitz's new wife, on a segment of The Jerry Springer Show. Panitz was convicted in 2002.

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Overview

Early life and education

Kevorkian was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on May 26, 1928, to Armenian immigrants from present-day Turkey. His father, Levon (1887–1960), was born in the village of Passen, near Erzurum, and his mother, Satenig (1900–1968), was born in the village of Govdun, near Sivas. His father left Armenia in the Ottoman Empire and made his way to Pontiac in 1912, where he found work at an automobile foundry. Satenig fled the Armenian genocide of 1915, finding refuge with relatives in …

Career

Over a period of decades, Kevorkian developed several controversial ideas related to death. In a 1959 journal article, he wrote:
I propose that a prisoner condemned to death by due process of law be allowed to submit, by his own free choice, to medical experimentation under complete anaesthesia (at the time appointed for administering the penalty) as a form of …

Trials, conviction, and imprisonment

Kevorkian was tried four times for assisting suicides between May 1994 and June 1997. With the assistance of Fieger, Kevorkian was acquitted three times. The fourth trial ended in a mistrial. The trials helped Kevorkian gain public support for his cause. After Oakland County prosecutor Richard Thompson lost a primary election to a Republican challenger, Thompson attributed the loss in part to the declining public support for the prosecution of Kevorkian and its associated le…

Activities after his release from prison

Kevorkian gave a number of lectures upon his release. He lectured at universities such as the University of Florida, Nova Southeastern University, and the University of California, Los Angeles. His lectures were not limited to the topic of euthanasia; he also discussed such topics as tyranny, the criminal justice system, politics, the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Ar…

Personal life

Kevorkian had struggled with kidney problems for years. He was diagnosed with liver cancer, which "may have been caused by hepatitis C," according to his longtime friend Neal Nicol. Kevorkian was hospitalized on May 18, 2011, with kidney problems and pneumonia. Kevorkian's condition grew rapidly worse and he died from a thrombosis on June 3, 2011, eight days after his 83rd birthday, at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. According to his attorney, M…

Legacy

Judge Thomas Jackson, who presided over Kevorkian's first murder trial in 1994, commented that he wanted to express sorrow at Kevorkian's death and that the 1994 case was brought under "a badly written law" aimed at Kevorkian, but he attempted to give him "the best trial possible". Geoffrey Fieger, Kevorkian's lawyer during the 1990s, gave a speech at a press conference in which he stated: "Dr. Jack Kevorkian didn't seek out history, but he made history." Fieger said tha…

Publications

• Kevorkian, Jack (1959). The Story of Dissection. Philosophical Library. ISBN 978-1-258-07746-4.
• Kevorkian, Jack (1960). Medical Research and the Death Penalty: A Dialogue. Vantage Books. ISBN 978-0-9602030-1-7.
• Kevorkian, Jack (1966). Beyond Any Kind of God. Philosophical Library. ISBN 978-0-8022-0847-7.†