On this day 33 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Cruzan vs. Director of the Missouri Department of Health. The Court found it was acceptable to require “clear and convincing evidence” of a patient’s wishes for removal of life support. 

A significant outcome of the case was the normalization of advanced health directives.

Based upon content from the Missouri State Archives, Timeline of Missouri History.  

Photo: Mark Brown, Pixabay