Topic: Lawyers: If you know suspect someone is suicidal..

[DocSavage]

...and they end up killing themselves, and it comes out you suspected but did nothing, are there laws that make you legally culpable?

Wondering, because I know this guy who obsesses over the ideal way to off yourself, and claims he'd rather end his life on his own terms then be put in an institution or hooked up to machines.  He's also convinced he has an incurable disease, and has seen six doctors, all who tell him it's in his head..

He's something of an odd duck, and obsesses about a lot of things (He was also convinced there was something wrong with his car, and spent a year going between garages, with most of them telling him he's nuts)..  For what it's worth, he volunteered to see a psychologist, just to get a clean bill of mental health and keep the other specialists from telling him that's what he should be doing..

I really doubt he'd off himself, and I don't think it'd be right to meddle on a vague suspicion, but I'd like to know the laws, just in case..

[Proud Virgin]

Honest question.

Is this "friend" really you?

We're here to help. A1-wrestling away!!!!!

[DocSavage]

I'm told if he killed himself, and I even suspected he might off himself and my inaction allows it to happen, I'd be held accountable and could face jail time under "depraved indifference" laws.

Shit, this isn't good.

[BlackLight]

I'm told if he killed himself, and his grandmother or someone mentions I've been hanging out with him a lot, the police would definitely question me.  And if I told them he was looking up ways to kill himself, or talking about it a lot, and even suspected he might off himself and my inaction allows it to happen, I'd be held accountable and could face jail time under "depraved indifference" laws.

Shit, this isn't good.

Sounds pretty simple to me. Talk to a cop. Call the local police station (or whatever non-emergency number there is). Explain your situation. Really, it's about getting it on the record that you weren't indifferent at all. That doesn't mean that you won't eventually have to put up with some sort of hassle if the guy does actually kill himself. It just means that this sort of accusation probably won't stick.

[DocSavage]

I'm told if he killed himself, and his grandmother or someone mentions I've been hanging out with him a lot, the police would definitely question me.  And if I told them he was looking up ways to kill himself, or talking about it a lot, and even suspected he might off himself and my inaction allows it to happen, I'd be held accountable and could face jail time under "depraved indifference" laws.

Shit, this isn't good.

Sounds pretty simple to me. Talk to a cop. Call the local police station (or whatever non-emergency number there is). Explain your situation. Really, it's about getting it on the record that you weren't indifferent at all. That doesn't mean that you won't eventually have to put up with some sort of hassle if the guy does actually kill himself. It just means that this sort of accusation probably won't stick.

You're probably right.  I'd probably feel safe with keeping my mouth shut about it all, but you never know how things could go against you..  And some of this searching happened on MY laptop.  Youtube videos, groups dedicated to assisting people, the works (Again, my friend is really compulsive, so this didn't strike me as odd for him.)

The very existence of "depraved existence" laws sounds like a major possibility for injustice, though...  From researching on the subject, there's not a lot of consensus on how to apply the laws.

[FATSEXY]

I'd tell a family member about it for sure.

You might want to find a local mental health service and ask them how to handle this. If the guy has depression as part of a mental illness, he could be a danger to more than just himself, you know?

[BobbyR]

I'm told if he killed himself, and I even suspected he might off himself and my inaction allows it to happen, I'd be held accountable and could face jail time under "depraved indifference" laws.

Shit, this isn't good.

And how could this be proven?

[Nightmares]

It would be very hard to prove

After all, there is a difference between meaning it and just wanting attention

For instance, there are stories about people committing murder and their friends saying they had been told of the intention but did nothing as they thought it was a joke

[BlackLight]

I think the key here is for Doc to minimize the potential damage that might eventually head his way. Yes, depraved indifference might be very hard to prove, and yes, there isn't much you can do if this guy's family tries to create trouble for you. But somewhere in the middle are appropriate actions that you can take now that might ultimately minimize the hassle and tumult in your life if this guy actually does go through with it.

If you live in a house on a coast, and you hear about a hurricane headed your way. Nobody knows if it's going to swing north of you, or south of you, or possibly blow right through you. Only a fool looks at this situation and thinks, "Well, I've got a 2 in 3 chance that this storm won't hit me. Those are some good odds, so I'll just kick it and it'll all be fine." Now, you might not pack up everything you own and head for the hills, but there are reasonable steps you can take that help mitigate against disaster.

Really, just talk to someone - cops, docs, shrinks, his family, anyone that could conceivably do something besides just advise you. I'd probably do it just because of FATTY's point. If he offs himself, that might be one thing. But if he decides to take a few innocents with him, I don't really need that on my conscience.

[Chus-Kay]

define "did nothing about it".