Choice not assured in Washington's dignified death law

Choice not assured in Washington's

dignified death law

Editor:

I am a lawyer in Washington State where assisted suicide is legal. I disagree with Tom Preston's rosy description of our assisted suicide law. ("Dignified death doc to speak at Northern," Page 1 in Friday's Havre Daily News).

Washington's law was passed via an initiative in which voters were promised that their "choice" would be assured. Our act, however, has significant gaps so that patient choice is not assured.

For example, no witnesses are required at the death. Without disinterested witnesses, the opportunity is created for so...