US Assisted Suicide Advocate Kevorkian Hospitalized

DETROIT (Reuters) - Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, known as "Dr. Death" for helping more than 100 people end their lives, was in a Detroit-area hospital Thursday with pneumonia as well as a recurring kidney ailment, Detroit newspapers reported.

Kevorkian's attorney, Mayer Morganroth, said that the 82-year-old pathologist was admitted to a hospital Wednesday night, the Detroit Free-Press and the Detroit News reported.

Morganroth said that Kevorkian was in hospital several weeks ago for four days and that he had a relapse but was "getting better" Thursday.

Kevorkian was imprisoned for eight years for second-degree murder, and was paroled in 2007.

As a condition of his parole, he vowed not to assist in any suicides.

He was convicted after a CBS TV news program aired showing a video of Kevorkian administering lethal drugs to a 52-year-old man suffering from debilitating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Kevorkian was played by actor Al Pacino in the 2010 HBO film "You Don't Know Jack", for which Pacino won Emmy and Golden Globe awards. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Eric Walsh)