Criminal manslaughter case involving physician and lethal me…

INSTRUCTIONS : Welcome to Writing & Legal Advocacy. This semester you will be working on a criminal case where the Commonwealth has indicted a doctor for manslaughter as a result of her patient ingesting a lethal dose of prescribed medication. The defense has filed a motion to dismiss the indictment. Note: Massachusetts has not adopted Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), or Physician Assisted Suicide, as its called. There is an SJC opinion on a declaratory judgment case, which the Commonwealth relies on; the Defense argues it should be distinguished from the instant case. You will represent the Commonwealth. Each side will file memoranda of law to the Trial court addressing this motion. This fact pattern presents the opportunity to research in all areas of the law: statutes, case law and administrative regulations. There are many legal and scientific articles on patient rights, the medical profession, and the duty of the state to preserve life and protect the integrity of the medical profession. Below is the factual background you will need to research and draft the memorandum. On January 12, 2026, a Suffolk Superior Court Grand Jury indicted Dr. Carla Castaneda for the manslaughter death of Adam Kind. Adam Kinds body was discovered in his South End condominium on December 21, 2025, after Dr. Castaneda called the police. Mr. Kind was a thirty-nine-year-old college professor at Emerson College in Boston, where he taught creative writing, religion and philosophy courses. The Grand Jury heard testimony from John Mooney, the police officer who arrived at the home after he received Dr. Castanedas call, Dr. Alan Copperfield, the Coroner, Adam’s mother, Katherine Kind, his physician, Jason Stringfield, and Dr. Melissa Maxwell, a member of his hospice team. Presented as evidence was the Coroner’s report, photographs of the scene, the letter to Mrs. Kind, the letter to Dr. Castaneda shortly after Mr. Kind elected to be part of Mass General Brighams Palliative Care Program, and the text conversation with Dr. Castaneda on December 21,2025. In late September, after meeting with his PCP, Dr. Stringfield, Adam Kind had been referred to Mass General Brigham Home-Based Palliative Care. Doctor Stringfield had advised that this program would provide medical care, symptom management, and emotional support, and, if needed, a transition to home-based Hospice care. Dr. Carla Castaneda was consulted, and she developed a home-based program for Mr. Kind. Mr. Kinds mother, Katherine, moved into his condo, and a visiting nurse came 2-3 times a week. At least once a week one of the doctors would visit either in person or virtually. In October, Dr. Stringfield, Dr. Castaneda and Doctor Maxwell had meetings with Mr. Kind where end-of-life options were discussed. They had discussions about Palliative Sedation, where Mr. Kind expressed displeasure about this procedure, saying …much as I like and respect all of you, when the time comes, I want to be in control; I dont want any of you in charge at my death. Dr. Copperfield, the coroner, testified before the grand jury that death occurred as a result of Mr. Kind self-administering and ingesting lethal medication that had been prescribed by Dr. Castaneda. (combination of large dose barbiturate, anti-nausea and anti-anxiety drugs). While Dr. Castaneda was not physically present when Mr. Kind took the medication, the two were texting each other until sometime after Mr. Kind took the medication. The text conversations were presented to the Grand Jury. Following is a text conversation at 6:00 P.M.: Kind: Im wondering whether I should take those meds now. I know tonight is the Winter Solstice, maybe a good time to die… or should I wait until after the holidays, see my mother and sister one last time? Castaneda: Well, you have been thinking about this a long time; while you are mentally very stable, your health has declined. As you said to us before, you want to be in control. Kind: I am suffering so much this week that I didnt have the energy to do any work or to do any Christmas shopping. But I am scared. Castaneda: If the pain is too much, I can put you under in your mother and sisters presence ; you already acknowledged you understand the procedure of palliative sedation. Let me know if its palliative sedation that you want. Or you can take the medication. Try and meditate a bit and let me know Kind: ok. Following is the text conversation between Kind and Castaneda, at 7:20 P.M.: Kind: I am doing it right now should I??? Castaneda: Yes, if that is your wish. Kind: Haha, I did say solstice is a good time to die…and my mother is out overnight at a holiday party in New Hampshire. I dont want her to find me would you take care of it. Castaneda: I will be available when you tell me you took the meds, I will come over, and I can authorities the authorities later in the evening. At 10:18 P.M.: Castaneda: Are you still there? Kind: Yes. I took the meds, feeling ok, a little tired. Castaneda: You are certainly mentally competent, you and I have discussed the progression of your disease, and you have all of your affairs in order. And we have also had spiritual and philosophical conversations about your desire to end your life without pain. Kind: I would say you could make the call right before midnight. Thank you so much for your expertise and for our talks. Castaneda: You are very welcome… I will stop over soon, and yes, here you go… Mrs. Kind testified before the Grand Jury that Adam had been very sick since his bout with pneumonia in November, but he had planned to teach at least one on-line course in the spring. He had also made plans to take his sixteen-year-old sister on vacation in March. Having observed her late husband die from Alzheimer’s related complications, Mrs. Kind testified she could not be sure that Adam had not begun exhibiting symptoms of dementia. She also stated she was painfully aware of her sons battle with Aids, and supported all his decisions regarding end-of-life care, as long as they were legal. Dr. Stringfield testified that Aids was a terminal disease, and that Adam had been treated by him for the last ten years, and although he believed he was in the last stages, he wasnt sure how much longer he would live. Dr. Maxwell testified it was her clinical opinion he had less than six months to live. LETTER TO DOCTOR CASTANEDA October 1, 2025 Dear Dr. Castaneda, My name is Adam Kind. I am a 39-year-old college professor at Emerson, and I am ready to die. Thank you for coordinating my palliative care program. I have AIDS. While that statement I have AIDS may not mean much to you, it is everything to me right now. I live it, breathe it, wake up with it, sleep with it, dream with it, eat with it, and shit with it. I was promoted to a tenured professor the year I contracted the human immune deficiency virus (HIV). When I first got sick, I couldnt get up to teach one of my writing classes, because I had fever and chills. I thought it was the flu. That was the beginning of what I call the Ten-Year war. This is the Tenth Year. This is the final year. Some will think I have given up on life. I havent. I just know that I am ready to shed this body and find another. I had a dream last night. I was in a rain forest, when I saw some crystal formations in a shallow pond. I bent down and picked one up a green and purple crystal. All of a sudden it transformed into some small flying creatures, which hovered all around me. I remember feeling inexplicable joy and I know this means I am going through a similar transformation. I am ready. My doctor, Dr. Stringfield, says that while the medical community still recognizes Aids as an incurable disease, some of the latest treatment methods have succeeded in leveling the T cell count and greatly reducing pain and discomfort. When I ask, he says he is not sure if I have less than 6 months. I have met one of the doctors on the Palliative care team, Dr. Melissa Maxfield, who says that compared with others she has treated, I appeared to be in the last stages. None of the drugs alleviate my pain anymore. Some of my symptoms include diarrhea, flulike illnesses including pneumonia, abdominal pain, nausea, and almost worst of all, because I was always proud of my clear skin, Kaposis Sarcoma, a type of skin cancer. I do still manage to teach at least virtually one creative writing, and one philosophy course, and I do still have vacation plans with my younger sister Larissa, who will actually be attending Emerson this fall. Finally, I just need advice on how best to handle this end stage of my life. Respectfully, Adam Kind Adam Kind ADAM KINDS LETTER TO FAMILY December 21, 2025 Dear Mom and Larissa , I am going to give myself a lethal dose of prescribed medication and will likely die tonight. Please do not cry or mourn for me. You already have, for the last ten years. You know that I was too sick to teach a full load this semester, and I do not know how much I would be able to do in the spring semester. You should now rejoice, because not only has my present suffering ended, but I can now achieve a higher re-birth, as I am facing death mentally and spiritually capable. Having studied nearly every religion, I realize that many, such as Christian and Buddhist, forbid the taking of one’s life. But my life is already over, and death has begun. The choice now is how I die under palliative sedation or alert as I am now. While others take hours or days to die, however, my death has taken years. I am not, therefore, taking my life – I am merely hastening my death. If I wait much longer, you and I will suffer needlessly; in addition, I may develop dementia, which will render me incapable of dealing with present day affairs, and also incapable of dealing with death, and whatever comes after. We suffered through Dad’s illness – he was not himself at the end – I do not want to face death like that. I am also leaving you both a copy of my will. Please take it to my lawyer; mom, you are named as the Executor. Larissa will inherit the bulk of my pension fund through the college – that should take her through college, so you won’t have to pay like you did for me. You have done a lot for me, not only financially, but in other ways, helping out and running around like most moms, but also accepting my lifestyle and beliefs unlike most moms. Thank you. I love you both, and I have no doubt that I will encounter you again. Love, Adam