WHO ARE THE DELAWARE PLAINTIFFS?
Organizational Plaintiffs
ORGANIZATIONAL Representatives
Theo Braddy
National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
Jody Hougentogler
The Freedom Center for Independent Living, Inc.
Steve Lieberman
United Spinal
Ian McIntosh
Not Dead Yet
Daniese McMullin-Powell
ADAPT Delaware
Matt Vallière
Institute for Patients’ Rights
Individual Plaintiffs
Sean Curran
Disability Advocate
WHO ARE THE LAWYERS?
Halloran, Farkas, & Kittila LLP
Theodore A. Kittila
Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP
Michael Bien
Ernest Galvan
Van Swearingen
Kara Janssen
Media Requests
Click below for our media spokespersons and contact information.
LEGAL DOCUMENTS
Opening Brief
This is the plaintiffs initial brief. It argues that Delaware’s assisted suicide law unfairly targets people with disabilities by labeling them “terminal” and giving them access to death instead of support. It says the court wrongly dismissed the case and ignored real harm, discrimination, and serious legal concerns.
Order Denying Group the Right to Intervene
When we filed our lawsuit, Compassion & Choices (a pro-assisted suicide organization) filed a request to join the case as additional participants. The court denied this request. This means the original parties remain the only ones involved, and the case will move forward without the intervenors.
Appeal of Dismissal
We are appealing the dismissal of our lawsuit challenging Delaware’s assisted-suicide law. We argue the district court was wrong to dismiss the case because we do have standing: the law already discriminates against people with disabilities by labeling us as eligible for assisted suicide and treating us differently from others. We also contend the law is overly broad and poorly written, potentially applying to more people than intended. Our organizations are harmed as well, because we must divert resources to support affected members. Finally, we argue the court improperly dismissed the case and denied a temporary restraining order without fully considering the evidence, and we ask the appeals court to reverse and allow our case to move forward.
Amicus Briefs
Amicus briefs are when organizations or experts who are not part of a court case share their perspective to help the judges understand the issue better before making a decision. The groups below have all submitted powerful briefs in support of our lawsuits.