Louisiana § RS 14:32.12 - Criminal assistance to suicide

§ RS 14:32.12. Criminal assistance to suicide

           A. Criminal assistance to suicide is:

           (1) The intentional advising or encouraging of another person to commit suicide or the providing of the physical means or the knowledge of such means to another person for the purpose of enabling the other person to commit or attempt to commit suicide.

           (2) The intentional advising, encouraging, or assisting of another person to commit suicide, or the participation in any physical act which causes, aids, abets, or assists another person in committing or attempting to commit suicide.

           B. For the purposes of this Section, "suicide" means the intentional and deliberate act of taking one's own life through the performance of an act intended to result in death.

           C. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any licensed physician or other authorized licensed health care professional who either:

           (1) Withholds or withdraws medical treatment in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:1151.7.

           (2) Prescribes, dispenses, or administers any medication, treatment, or procedure if the intent is to relieve the patient's pain or suffering and not to cause death.

           D. Whoever commits the crime of criminal assistance to suicide shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years or fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both.

           Acts 1995, No. 384, §1, eff. June 16, 1995.