Most states have laws against aiding a suicide or assisted suicide. These laws are usually found in the state’s statutes, and sometimes in the state’s court opinions or case law (common law). The severity level of these crimes range from misdemeanors to felonies.
In Louisiana, assisting in a suicide is considered a crime under the state's statutes. Specifically, Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14, Section 102.12 states that aiding or soliciting another to commit suicide is a felony offense. This law makes it clear that any person who deliberately aids or solicits another to commit suicide, or who provides the physical means by which another person commits or attempts to commit suicide, is guilty of a crime. The severity of the punishment for this felony can vary depending on the circumstances of the case and the discretion of the courts. Louisiana does not have a Death with Dignity Act or any similar legislation that allows for physician-assisted suicide, which means that all forms of assisted suicide are illegal in the state.