Is Suicide a Felony?

[Zoe]

Are there any states in which attempted suicide (unassisted) is still considered a felony? I am wondering particularly about Mississippi’s current laws.

No, I’m not suicidal – just curious about the statement a friend made.

[danceswithcats]

The Master speaks.

[Ilsa_Lund]

Sorta.

In the U.S. suicide has never been treated as a crime nor punished by property forfeiture or ignominious burial. (Some states listed it on the books as a felony but imposed no penalty.) Curiously, as of 1963, six states still considered attempted suicide a crime–North and South Dakota, Washington, New Jersey, Nevada, and Oklahoma. Of course they didn’t take matters as seriously as the Roman emperor Hadrian, who in 117 AD declared attempted suicide by soldiers a form of desertion and made it–no joke this time–a capital offense.

[Zoe]

Ilsa and danceswithcats, thank you both very much! Now if I could just learn to master the search function…

[Jake]

@danceswithcats

The Master speaks.

Thanks Dances, I’ve been un-ignorated.