Dr. Arthur Zitrin — prominent New York City psychiatrist, bioethicist, and death penalty opponent — passed away last Saturday at the age of 101. In the early 2000s, Dr. Zitrin led the movement to prohibit physicians from administering lethal injections to condemned prisoners. Although his position was rejected by courts, it has since been adopted by the American Medical Association, most recently in an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing,
Society wants to delude itself into a belief that capital punishment no longer represents a weighted moral choice, but is now somehow scientific—nearly antiseptic. This delusion, however, cheapens life and makes its extinction easier . . . . The medical profession, whose "essential quality' is an interest in humanity and which reveres human life should have no part in this charade.
The AMA Code of Ethics now provides,
[A]s a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, a physician must not participate in a legally authorized execution.
Dr. Zitrin's New York Times obituary is here, detailing his many other outstanding achievements.
As many readers may have surmised, Dr. Zitrin was the father of Richard Zitrin, a well-known San Francisco lawyer who teaches at UC Hastings and writes on issues of legal ethics. Richard is also my good friend.
May the source of peace bring peace to those who mourn.
A great man, too bad we still have the death penalty.
Dr. Leana Wen was unavailable for comment.