NATION IN BRIEF : MICHIGAN : Judge Threatens Ban on Suicide Machine

A judge in Pontiac, Mich., threatened to permanently ban the use of a so-called suicide machine unless its creator, retired pathologist Jack Kevorkian, files documents explaining his views. A temporary injunction was issued on use of the lethal injection device last June. Circuit Court Judge Alice Gilbert said she would grant a permanent injunction if Kevorkian fails to follow court procedures. Kevorkian received wide publicity when he used the device to help a 54-year-old Portland, Ore., woman commit suicide last June. Officials have not decided whether to file criminal charges in the death of the woman, Janet Adkins, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.