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LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state parole board declined to commute Jack Kevorkian's murder sentence or grant the assisted suicide advocate parole, saying his claims of ill health mirrored claims he had made just a year ago.
In a letter sent to Kevorkian's lawyer, the board said the application was essentially the same as one it rejected in November 2003, and said another attempt could be made for similar requests only after a full two years had passed.
Kevorkian's lawyer, Mayer Morganroth, said he would go directing to Gov. Jennifer Granholm and ask her to consider parole or a commuted sentence for the 76-year-old inmate, who was convicted of second-degree murder for poisoning a man with Lou Gehrig's disease. The 1998 death of Thomas Youk, 52, which Kevorkian called a mercy killing, was videotaped and shown on CBS's "60 Minutes."
The 2003 request mentioned Kevorkian's age but was based mainly on Morganroth's claim that the retired pathologist did not receive a fair trial. The latest request was based strictly on Kevorkian's failing health, Morganroth said.
Morganroth last month asked the parole board to recommend that Granholm release Kevorkian, citing health problems including a hernia, high blood pressure and arthritis. Kevorkian also suffers from hepatitis C, a heart murmur, circulatory problems and the beginning stages of cataracts, Morganroth said Tuesday.
The request came a week after the U.S. Supreme Court decided against hearing Kevorkian's appeal of his conviction in Youk's death. Kevorkian, who represented himself in the trial, claimed in the appeal he had an ineffective lawyer.
Kevorkian, who is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence, is eligible for parole in 2007. | 
