Crime & Safety

Judge Throws Out Charge Against Man Accused of Helping Apple Valley Woman Commit Suicide

The founder and former leader of a right-to-die group is off the hook regarding charges filed following the suicide of Doreen Dunn, an Apple Valley woman.

After struggling for years with crippling pain, former musician Doreen Dunn, 57, took her own life in 2007—with the alleged help of four members of a national right-to-die group.

On Friday, a judge threw out a felony charge against one of those members, Thomas Goodwin, the founder and former president of the Georgia-based Final Exit Network. But Dakota County District Court Judge Karen Asphaug upheld charges against the other three accused of helping Doreen Dunn take her own life, according to a report in the Pioneer Press.

Minnesota statutes make it a felony to assist, encourage or advise another in taking his or her own life. But Asphaug said in her ruling that the word "advises" is too broad. Attorneys for the defendants argued that statutes preventing people from advising or encouraging suicide would infringe upon free speech, according to the Pioneer Press.

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"We are pleased that the Judge has found probable cause for most of the counts in the indictment against Final Exit Network and several of its members.  In reference to the constitutionality of the statute, we are reviewing the Judge's ruling to determine how we will proceed," Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom said in a news release.

Click here to read the full article on the Pioneer Press website.

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Do you agree with the defense attorneys? Is advising or helping another to commit suicide allowed by provisions protect free speech?


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