Ruling Upholds Judge’s Cremation Order Over Mother’s Wishes

The Arizona Court of Appeals in Pima County on Thursday upheld a lower court’s order that a man can be cremated. The court cited testimony from the man’s father and girlfriend that he wanted to be cremated. His mother objected, stating that her religious beliefs dictated that her son should be buried.

The ruling said the conflict between the man’s parents as decision-makers identified under state law left it up to the probate judge to resolve the dispute. The court also said state law does not compel the probate judge to put the mother’s religious preferences over her son’s wishes.

See Ruling Upholds Judge’s Cremation Order Over Mother’s Wishes, KVOA.com, January 25, 2020.