In re Welfare of Bowman
Washington Supreme Court
617 P.2d 731 (1980)
- Written by Mary Phelan D'Isa, JD
Facts
The guardian ad litem for five-year old William Matthew Bowman appealed the decision of a State of Washington trial court that found that because William had suffered irreversible loss of brain activity, William was dead as a matter of state law. The trial court held that the definition of death in Washington must meet the prevailing medical opinion in the state as to when death occurs, which is recognized as when an irreversible loss of brain function occurs. The trial court enjoined the cessation of life-support systems for William while the guardian ad litem appealed the trial court’s decision to the state supreme court. Despite the cessation of all of Matthew’s bodily functions before the case reached the appellate court technically rendered the matter moot, the appeal proceeded.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Utter, C.J.)
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