Ashcroft gets his ass handed to him on the Oregon assisted suicide law

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Only a federal court but still:

The majority used unusually pointed and personal language to rebuke Attorney General John Ashcroft for overstepping his authority.

"The Attorney General's unilateral attempt to regulate general medical practices historically entrusted to state lawmakers," Judge Richard Tallman wrote for the majority, "interferes with the democratic debate about physician-assisted suicide and far exceeds the scope of his authority under federal law."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Hm. Around he we considered him well wallopped quite a while back. But it's good that the wallopping continues.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Not so long ago, Ashcroft was officially "rebuked" by a federal judge (for making comments that were deemed especially damaging to a certain defendent's right to a fair trial). The judge could easily have found him in contempt of court, but decided to go easy on him, seeing as how he was AG and all.

― Aimless (Aimless), Wednesday, 26 May 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

And the final smackdown.

The Supreme Court upheld Oregon's one-of-a-kind physician-assisted suicide law Tuesday, rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.

Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said that federal authority to regulate doctors does not override the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives of more than 200 seriously ill people. New Chief Justice John Roberts backed the Bush administration, dissenting for the first time.

The administration improperly tried to use a drug law to prosecute Oregon doctors who prescribe overdoses, the court majority said.

"Congress did not have this far-reaching intent to alter the federal-state balance," Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for himself, retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Put Alito up there and it still would've passed, 5-4. (Assuming that Alito falls right in with Scalia-Thomas.)

STATES RIGHTS NOW!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:14 (twenty years ago)

So here's hoping Stevens lasts out the rest of the Bush term, see.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:16 (twenty years ago)

The guy's in his late '80s! I can't believe none of last summer's chatter about Rehnquist's failing health and O'Connor's imminent retiring focused on Stevens' own age.

(Then again, the guy still places tennis every day and could probably beat my ass drinking)

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:35 (twenty years ago)

Wow, this news makes me happy.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 02:10 (twenty years ago)

STATES RIGHTS NOW!

OTM.

TIME TO MOVE TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.

― Special Agent Gene Krupa (orion), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 02:46 (twenty years ago)

LIVE FREE AND DIE!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 04:54 (twenty years ago)

hahaha!

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 05:23 (twenty years ago)

(Assuming that Alito falls right in with Scalia-Thomas.)

Unsurprisingly, Chief Justice Roberts fell right in with them and made himself at home. The Bush v. Gore legacy continues.

― Aimless (Aimless), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 18:35 (twenty years ago)

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