Judge Allows Kevorkian to Explain
A Superior Court judge on Friday granted Jack Kevorkian one month to explain why he failed to attend numerous administrative law hearings leading to the revocation of his California medical license.
Kevorkian, 66, dubbed “Dr. Death” for having assisted in 21 suicides, including that of a Costa Mesa real estate agent, filed suit against the Medical Board of California after it voted in July to revoke the license.
Awarded the license in 1957, Kevorkian worked as a pathologist at two hospitals in Long Beach from 1979 to 1982. Michigan--the only other state to have given him a medical license--has suspended Kevorkian’s right to practice medicine in his home state, where each of the suicides has taken place.
A Michigan court overturned a state law designed to stop Kevorkian’s practice of assisted suicide. That court then ordered murder charges reinstated against Kevorkian. The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to review the entire matter, with a ruling expected next month.
At Friday’s hearing in Kevorkian’s lawsuit, the Medical Board of California argued that he had the ability to protest the suspension and revocation of his medical license but failed to appear or send a representative to numerous hearings in San Diego before an administrative law judge.
The Superior Court judge agreed to rule in the matter, pending an explanation of why Kevorkian “failed to exhaust administrative remedies.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
