The 3 Exceptions to Maryland's Suicide Law

Maryland Criminal Law CR 3-102 makes it an offense for one to assist another individual to commit or attempt to commit suicide by three means:

1. coercion, duress, deception;
2. by providing the physical means to commit suicide with the knowledge of the intent; and
3. by knowingly participating in the physical act.

There are three exceptions to this offense enumerated in CR 3-103:

1. Palliative care / Pain relief
   Def.: A health care professional administering/prescribing pain relief even if this procedure may "hasten death or increase the risk of death" unless of course the professional does so directly to cause death.
   
2. Life-sustaining procedures
   Def.: Withholding or withdrawing life support.
   
3. Family caregiver
   Def.: A caregiver for a patient in a hospice program administers/dispenses medication for pain relief under the supervision of a health care professional even if this procedure may "hasten death or increase the risk of death" unless of course the professional does so directly to cause death.