Kevorkian Denied Release From Jail
Dr. Jack Kevorkian has lost his request to get out of prison while he appeals his second-degree murder conviction.
Oakland County Circuit Judge Jessica Cooper denied the bond request on Thursday, saying it had no merit.
"Now we go to the Court of Appeals," defense attorney Mayer Morganroth said. He contends Kevorkian's health is frail enough that the 72-year-old advocate of doctor-assisted suicide should be freed during the appeal.
Morganroth says Kevorkian has high blood pressure and his health has deteriorated since he was sentenced in April 1999 to 10 to 25 years in prison for administering a lethal injection to Thomas Youk, a terminally ill Michigan man who suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Youk's death attracted national attention when CBS News 60 Minutes broadcast portions of Kevorkian's homemade videotape showing him injecting the fatal dose. Viewers in an estimated 15.6 million homes saw the November 1998 broadcast.
Kevorkian, held at a medium-security prison in Jackson, Mich., nearly suffered a stroke recently, according to Morganroth.
"He almost stroked out. He was very close to it," the attorney said. "He's in a six-by-ten (foot) cell. Under the circumstances, he's doing the best he can."
CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press and Reuters Limited contributed to this report