Judge weighs assisted suicide charge against Philly nurse in death of dying 93-year-old father

POTTSVILLE, Pa. – A Pennsylvania judge will be asked Thursday to drop an assisted suicide case against a nurse in her 93-year-old father’s death while on hospice.

Barbara Mancini has the vocal backing of a group called Compassion & Choices, which supports “aid in dying” and other end-of-life choices.

The 57-year-old Mancini is accused of giving morphine to her dying father, Joe Yourshaw, at his Pottsville home in February.

Defence attorneys say he asked for the bottle of morphine. They also say there’s no evidence that killed him.

Yourshaw died at a hospital four days later after a hospice nurse called 911.

Assisted suicide is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison in Pennsylvania.

Supporters say thousands of people have signed a petition urging that the case be dropped.