Kevorkian Is Hospitalized After Suffering Chest Pains

Dr. Jack Kevorkian was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains Sunday, the 13th day of his jailhouse hunger strike.

An initial test at the Oakland County Jail indicated that the 65-year-old may have suffered a mild heart attack, said Dr. Stanley Levy, selected by Kevorkian’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, to examine Kevorkian.

“He’s not in imminent danger,” Levy said.

The electrocardiogram, which monitors contractions of the heart, wasn’t conclusive, and Kevorkian was taken to North Oakland Medical Center for more tests. Witnesses said he walked into the hospital.

Dr. Eli Basse, who heads the hospital’s emergency department, said an initial test there indicated that Kevorkian did not have a heart attack, but he said more tests were being conducted.

Kevorkian began a hunger strike when he was jailed Nov. 30 on a charge of assisting the Oct. 22 suicide of Merian Frederick, 72, who had Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Attorney Fieger could not be reached immediately for comment Sunday night. An associate, Michael Schwartz, said he had not been notified about Kevorkian’s condition.

Fieger said earlier Sunday that Kevorkian was complaining of chest pains and his condition had markedly worsened.

“He’s real, real bad. He can’t stand up. He had trouble with his heart yesterday,” Fieger said. “He must be down to about 115 pounds now. He’s very sallow. He can’t lift his head off the bed.”

The 5-foot, 8-inch Kevorkian weighed 128 pounds when he was first jailed.

Fieger has said that Kevorkian has been counting on Wayne County Circuit Judge Richard Kaufman overturning Michigan’s law banning assisted suicide when he releases his ruling on the matter this morning.

If the judge strikes down the law, Oakland County prosecutors say they will appeal immediately. Last spring, when a Wayne County judge overturned the law, the Michigan Court of Appeals stayed the ruling pending a review, which has not been completed. The law remains in effect.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers differ over whether Kevorkian would be immediately freed from jail if the law were overturned.