2008 Woodie Awards
Right to die lawyer discusses case, book
Dominic Godfrey/Muleskinner
Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: News
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Shari Garber-Bax, coordinator of the ADP, said nearly 200 schools are involved nationwide. CMSU was excited to have Colby share his insights on controversial topics, such as assisted living and feeding tubes.
In 2005, Colby released his second book, "Unplugged: Reclaiming Our Right to Die in America." It explores the life and trials of assisted living cases, such as Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan and Terri Schiavo.
Colby graduated with a law degree from the University of Kansas in 1982. In 1987, while working for a law firm in Kansas City, he represented the Cruzan family in their groundbreaking case.
In 1983, Nancy Cruzan was in a single-car accident near Carthage, Mo. Cruzan suffered severe trauma as a result, leaving her in a permanent vegetative state. The family struggled for more than four years, supporting Nancy through feeding tubes.
They were told by doctors that only high-quality nursing and continued tube feeding would keep their daughter alive. After looking long and hard for an attorney, Colby agreed to represent the family free-of-charge.
Colby had never worked on a case of this nature before. He said there were no cases similar to this one because new technology and innovations were now able to prolong life. However, in many states, the definition and conditions of life vary from state to state.
"It's clear we are going to be dealing with tough questions," Colby said.
Colby, using the 14th Amendment, argued the family was being deprived of the pursuit of liberty. He said Cruzan's symptoms were going from bad to worse. Even though her eyes remained open, Cruzan was in an unconscious state.
Colby said Cruzan had gone up to 30 minutes without oxygen after the accident, adding that complications from the lack of oxygen start after four to six minutes.
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