Dr. Death Headed for the Dock

PONTIAC, Mich.: It looks as if Sunday's "60 Minutes" broadcast was a double suicide after all. After going to the videotape, Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca announced Wednesday that he is charging Dr. Jack Kevorkian with first-degree premeditated murder (as well as criminal assistance to a suicide and delivery of a controlled substance) for his role in the death of Thomas Youk. Kevorkian has walked on murder charges twice before because the states in which the deaths took place had no law against assisted suicide. But on that score, Michigan was ready for him by three weeks -- it's now a felony.

One possible snag is that Kevorkian's face was not actually shown on the broadcast -- but then again, the good doctor isn't exactly marshaling his legal forces for a vigorous defense. Kevorkian's lawyer, David Gorosh, said today that his client has fired him and wants Wayne State University law professor Robert Sedler to provide legal advice. But just from the sidelines -- Kevorkian wants to represent himself in court. And he's promised that if convicted, he'll starve himself to death in prison. Without anyone else's help.