Dr. Death Released from Prison

Jack Kevorkian, a.k.a. "Doctor Death", was released from prison early Friday after serving eight of the 10-25 year sentence he received back in 1998 for the lethal injection of a Michigan man. He earned an early exit from the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater due to good behavior.

The 79 year old retired pathologist was convicted of the second degree murder of Thomas Youk, who while in the final stages of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) consented on videotape that Kevorkian administer the injection on his behalf.

Unlike his previous involvement where patients would push a button that would release the drugs to end their life, Kevorkian was charged with the direct death of Youk, because of his physical inability to administer the drugs and chemicals for himself.

Kevorkian was previously tried and acquitted on several occasions throughout the years for assisting in suicides and is known for dramatic publicity stunts in the courtroom. He has even staged a hunger strike during past proceedings.

He had participated in as many as 130 assisted suicides prior to his incarceration but has promised to adhere to the conditions of his two year parole which prohibits him from engaging in similar behavior. He must also report regularly to his parole officer and will be unable to treat anyone disabled or older than 62 years of age.

Prison life appears to have not swayed his passion or support for a person's right to die, as he plans to continue to work to have a patient's "right to die" legalized following his release. Oregon remains the only state to legally allow a doctor to medically provide a lethal dosage to a patient who is terminal and has six months or less to live.

Kevorkian himself suffers from an array of ailments including diabetes and hepatitis C, which he contracted in Vietnam while performing research on blood transfusions.

He has scheduled a news conference for next week and is also expected to appear on Larry King. A book deal appears to be in the works.

Kevorkian graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1952 and earned the nickname, "Doctor Death" early in his career after publishing the article, "The Fundus Oculi and the Determination of Death" in 1956. He was asked to terminate his residency after another controversial paper in 1958 advocating experiments on convicts during executions.

He achieved popularity in the late 1980's advertising himself as a consultant for "death counseling" in local newspapers throughout Detroit.