Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 23

Thursday, October 11, 2007 OREGON Statesman Journal 7C MOLALLA State still alone on assisted suicide Wildlife officials to send disputed doe to elk facility Online Aging boomers may seek such laws outside Oregon By Matthew Daly The Associated Press WASHINGTON A decade after Oregon became the first state to allow physician-assisted suicide, it remains the only one. But that soon could change, speakers at a forum marking the 10th anniversary of the law said Wednesday. With baby boomers approaching retirement age, efforts to change end-of-life laws will increase, said Dr. Leon Kass, an opponent of assisted suicide and a formed chairman of the President's'' Council on Bioethics. including the American Medical Association and the Roman Catholic Church.

"The lobbying forces, the political forces in favor of the status quo, are enormous," said Lee, calling them among the "largest in the world." Lee said that she and other advocates are like Dorothy in the "Wizard of Oz" "small and Oregon voters approved the Death with Dignity Act in 1994 and 1997. The law allows terminally ill patients, as assessed by two doctors, to request a lethal dose of medicine, which the patient must administer himself or herself. The state Department of Human Services said 46 Ore-gonians, most suffering from cancer, committed assisted suicide last year. A total of 292 people have died under the law. Advocates hoped a 2006 ruling by the U.S.

Supreme Court upholding the Oregon law would lead other states to use Oregon as a model, but so far that has not happened. Proposals to allow assisted suicide were considered this year in several states, including California, Vermont and Hawaii, but none were approved. Lee said she was not discouraged by the lack of progress in other states, adding that the Oregon law has prompted national and international discussions about end-of-life care. Doctors are increasingly taking the issue of pain management seriously a direct result of. the Oregon law, she said.

Snowball can receiv medical care, they say The Associated Press The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is moving Snowball the disputed doe to an elk ranching facility She will be housed at a facility licensed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife where, officials say, the permanently disabled animal can receive the medical care she needs. A Molalla couple had been keeping Snowball and her offspring, Bucky, at their home illegally as pets. The deer were taken away in September, which led to an uproar about the best location for the animals. Bucky recently was released into the wild. But there was discussion of allowing Snowball to stay with the family.

Jim Filipetti of Molalla said Wednesday's announcement "blindsided" the family, which will continue to fight for Snowball. Skeptics persist on prison chief's murder Statesman Journal in OTTS7 Log on to www.StatesmanJournal.com starting at 6 am Sunday October W. -n time warden of the Oregon State Penitentiary. The weekly newspaper points out that Johnson's claims are difficult to corroborate because Natividad was shot to death by his girlfriend two weeks after Francke's murder and Cupp died of cancer in 1990. And Willamette Week notes that Johnson has, credibility problems.

Johnson, 45, is a serial felon who served prison stretches in the 1980s and '90s. Last he went on an i Statesman journal ft Place your ad NateaiunJuunuLcom i uniine bale Don't miss your chance to bid on thousands of dollars worth of gift certificates from local businesses! ft urt Natura Fqopr 503-399-6789 TheacewU" cu brand- rveMi today! COMPASSION AND CHOICES: www.compassionand choices.org PEW FORUM ON RELIGIOUS AND PUBLIC LIFE: http:pewforum.org "The pressures for changing it are coming soon," Kass said at the discussion sponsored by the Pew Forum on Religion Public Life. "So we will see this again. Let's hope the political forces (against the law) stay strong." Barbara Coombs Lee, president of Compassion and Choices, an advocacy group that backs the Oregon law, said opponents of assisted suicide remain formidable, worked the way it was supposed to work." Willamette Week recounted the details that skeptics of the Gable conviction have i noted such as the mostly circumstantial evidence against Gable, no admission of guilt, and the physical mismatch between the tall and fit Francke, and the much shorter and slighter Gable. The story also quotes former state officials among the skeptics, such as former state Treasurer Jim Hill and former state Rep.

Chuck Sides, a close friend of Francke. Despite the skepticism, the verdict has been upheld twice on appeal, and the investigation into the death was one of the most extensive in state history Evidence at the trial indicated Gable, a meth addict, had broken into Francke's car in the Department of Corrections parking lot to steal anything of value when the prison chief surprised him, leading Gable to stab him in the chest. The latest Willamette Week story, by Pulitzer Prize winner Nigel Jaquiss, is based on interviews with Greg Johnson, a prison inmate who claims he drove metham-phetamine dealer Tim Nati-vidad to the parking lot in Salem the night Francke was stabbed to death. Natividad was widely mentioned as an alternate suspect by critics of the case, and the theory was raised by defense attorneys for Gable during his trial. But Johnson told Willamette Week there is another twist: He later accompanied Natividad to pick up a $20,000 payment for the killing from Hoyt Cupp, the former long- We Clean, Seal.

Refurbish, Change Grout Color, Match, Patch QwuUQenie. SERVING CORVAIL1S. K44.7K4.iej1 1 2 6TH FALL DOLL SHOW SALE Admission $3. Sat Oct. 13th, 9-4 pm.

Polk County Fairground, 520 Pacific Hwy West, Rickreall. 140 sales tables. Info Arleta 503-581-1206 State convicted wrong man for '89 slaying, inmate says By William McCall The Associated Press PORTLAND Nearly 20 years after former Oregon prison chief Michael Francke was murdered, questions about whether the right man was convicted of the crime have been raised again. Willamette Week reported in this week's Edition that a prison inmate claims Francke was killed in 1989 by a drug dealer hired as a hit man because of Francke's investigation into alleged prison corruption. A jury convicted another drug dealer, Frank Gable, who is serving life in prison.

The claim that Gable is innocent of Francke's murder has persisted, mostly in discussions on Web sites and in the media, where Gable has found champions to dispute the case against him. They include Portland Tribune columnist Phil Stanford. "What is undeniably true, is there is not a shred of evidence against Frank Gable," Stanford said Wednesday. The former prosecutor whose office investigated the case stands by the conviction. "I have every confidence that Frank Gable is guilty and that this story is not true," said Dale Penn, the former Marion County district attorney and now head of the Oregon Lottery "The state police thoroughly investigated every allegation of corruption and conspiracy," Penn said, adding that he ordered polygraphs for dozens of prison officials, and nobody failed the test.

Perrin Damon, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Corrections, also said the investigation was exhaustive and that the "criminal justice system 2br, 1ba, gar, wd hkup, frplc, no pets. 1046 25th St NE, Englewood area $740dep 503-504-9631 House for Rent SE. 4BR, 26A, dbl gar, section 8 ok. Nice area, $1 1 50 dep. 503-581-7567 Lost Envelope at Roths In W.

Salem containing cash if found contact Randy at 503-370-3790 SILVER DOLLARS Sliver Dollar Collection, Father Deceased. Many over 1 00 yrs old. (S03) 391-2222 Brand new recllner Sofa matching Rocker recllner 3 occasional tables. 5 pc pedastool dinning set mahogany finish all for $1 400obo 503-371-8932 Hammock for 2 Frame. Great cond.

$50 Moving Sale Rain or Shine wMultl Family Sale FriSat All Day, Llots Of Furn, Hshld Items, Toys, 2796 Old Farm Ave CFA Reg Persians, Himalayan kittens, price point $250-500 www.paz4piaycattery.com 603-999-4416 Shelties purebred 6wka, 2 males, 2 females. Sable white mahogany. Dewclawed, 1 st shots, wormed $400ea. 503-873-2612 Guinea Pig babies, 2 for $25. several varieties, some free to good home.

503-581-3897 cTfiSiiv an day. day. armed robbery spree that led to convictions in four counties. He is serving 20 years at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario. Cupp's son, Tom, calls the entire story nonsense.

The younger Cupp is an assistant superintendent at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution and a 28-year veteran of the Corrections Department. "My father would never be involved in anything like that," Tom Cupp told Willamette Week. "1 Sterling 1 969 25' $5,995 On The Way RV 503-831-2334 Ford Escape 2002 F1247 $11,995 Forest Grove Autobrokers 1-866-745-6462 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 2004 Exc Cond Ext cab, 4x4, AC, AT, CC, tow pkg, 50k ml. $18,000 541-840-4241 or 503-365-7252 Ford F1 50, 1997 XLT. 3rd DR, PW, PDL, tilt, CC, Drivers Seat, new front brakes, clean, straight.

$5500 OBO (541)510-6309 Ford Contour '99. 94K miles, 4dr, AC, 4cyl, fuel lnected, 32 MPG, nice. $3500. 503-480-4158 Toyota Camry 1999. 104k ml, new battery, front breaks, exc cond.

Extra snow tires. $6,650 503-680-2158 SMlesnwiJournal.oom Local Outdoor news online 1 Oak dinette w4 chars $50 503-588-8684 Pronto power chair, sure step, brand new must see, (was $7200) $4,999 503-363-4970 1996 Cat 41 6B loader backhoe, 4 whl drive w1 8" digging bucket, $24,000 503-649-5682 2649 Commercial SE (503) 361-1973 www.lifesourcemturdlfoods.com Open M-F 9 to 9 Set 9 to 8 Sun 10 to 7 Belike U-PICK Apples Brooks 2 blocks 2 blocks of light In Brooks. 503-393-6996 Terry 1998 24' 5th wheel $10,995 On The Way RV 503-831-2334 Cash our auto loan 7 Join us for our Customer Appreciation Day and Food Fair in 800.637.0852 Oct. 13th I0WM0BK Lower your current auto loan payments with a rate as low as 5.49 APR and put some cash in your pocket too. All it takes is a First Tech membership and credit approval.

Now through October 31, 2007, refinance your current non-First Tech auto loan with us and we'll give you a percentage of the amount you still have to pay 0.5 cash back, to be exact. Apply for your monthly savings and pocket of cash at firsttechcu.com, stop by any branch or call 800.637.0852. 3) W4 LJ SINCE 1926 i W)V think forward I tUrtd UUM firsttechcu.com 503-378-0532 ON THE CORNER OF MARKET BROADWAY cycIecountry.net.