Jill Parks was a healthy, vibrant 22-year-old college student embarking on her senior year. One evening after
Question:
Jill Parks was a healthy, vibrant 22-year-old college student embarking on her senior year.
One evening after drinking at a local bar with her friends, Jill was crossing the street when an oncoming car suddenly hit her. Jill was not killed, but rather entered into a comatose state. At the hospital, the doctors informed Jill’s parents that she would likely never recover but would remain in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. Knowing Jill was an organ donor, her parents decided to allow the doctors to remove her organs and give them to other patients in need. The doctors subsequently removed Jill’s organs. A later autopsy revealed that although Jill suffered a severe brain injury, she was in fact not brain dead at the time of the organ removal. The prosecutor is considering charging the doctors with some form of criminal homicide for Jill’s death. What type of homicide, if any, would be appropriate under these circumstances? Could the parents also be charged? Why or why not?
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