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A grand jury in March 2010 indicted Ted Goodwin, the group's former president; group member Claire Blehr; ex-medical director Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert; and regional coordinator Nicholas Alec Sheridan. The four pleaded not guilty to charges that they tampered with evidence, violated anti-racketeering laws and helped the man kill himself, and their case has been on hold while the Georgia Supreme Court considered their challenge. The four hired a host of well-known defense attorneys, who asked a Forsyth County judge in December to dismiss the charges on free speech grounds. State attorneys said the law was aimed at preventing assisted suicides from the likes of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the late physician who sparked the national right-to-die debate. The judge rejected the defendants' request in April, ruling that "pure speech is in no way chilled or limited by the law," sending the case on fast-track to the Georgia Supreme Court. Monday's ruling could help reshape the state's end-of-life policy, as well as determine the future of the criminal case against the four, which has been on hold.
[Associated
Press;
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