Ex-Doctor Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in New York Woman’s Suicide
The New York Times
Stephen Miller, a right-to-die advocate, was sentenced to five years’ probation. His lawyer said that “morally” Mr. Miller had done nothing wrong.
A former doctor from Arizona pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Tuesday and was sentenced to five years’ probation after admitting that he had helped a 59-year-old woman kill herself in a motel room in the Hudson Valley in New York last fall.
The former doctor, Stephen P. Miller, entered his plea and received his sentence during a brief appearance in Ulster County Court about seven months after he was charged for his role in the asphyxiation death of the woman, Doreen Brodhead.
Mr. Miller, 85, had pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter count and two assault charges in February. Under an agreement with the Ulster County district attorney’s office, the assault counts were dropped. He had faced a potential prison term of five to 15 years on the manslaughter charge and up to 25 years if convicted on all counts.
Mr. Miller did not make a statement in court and declined to comment afterward. One of his lawyers, Jeffrey Lichtman, said outside court that his client had acted compassionately in helping Ms. Brodhead fulfill her wishes but acknowledged that Mr. Miller had flouted New York’s law against assisting in a suicide.
“Technically, he violated the law, and we accept that,” Mr. Lichtman said. Nonetheless, he added, “morally, Stephen Miller did nothing wrong.”
A spokeswoman for the Ulster County district attorney, Emmanuel C. Nneji, did not respond to a request for comment.
