In re Martin (Martin v. Martin), 450 MICH 204 (1995): Appellants Patricia Major and Leeta Martin Brief

This legal document is the appellants' brief filed in the landmark Michigan Supreme Court case In re Martin, 450 Mich 204 (1995). The case centered on a high-stakes probate dispute regarding the guardianship and medical decision-making authority for Michael Martin, who had been left in a persistent vegetative state following a car accident. The litigation became a significant touchstone in American jurisprudence concerning the right to die and the degree of clear and convincing evidence required to discontinue life-sustaining medical treatment for an incapacitated individual.

The brief represents the legal arguments presented by Patricia Major and Leeta Martin, who sought to maintain the life support measures for Michael Martin against the petition of his wife, Judy Martin, who argued that he would have chosen to refuse such treatment. The document was prepared by counsel to navigate the complex intersection of state statutory authority, the common law right of self-determination, and the procedural requirements of the Probate Code. It remains a essential primary source for legal scholars examining end-of-life litigation and the procedural rigor mandated by Michigan courts during the mid-1990s.