Criteria for Coroner or Medical Examiner Postmortem Examination

 

Determination of Need for Autopsy

 

An autopsy is a compelling public necessity if:

(1) There is a need to conduct an investigation by law enforcement officers of a homicide or suspected homicide, or any other criminal investigation.

(2) It is necessary to establish the cause of the deceased person's death for the purpose of protecting against an immediate or substantial threat to the public health.

 

Manner of Death	Specific Type
by criminal or violent means	homicide
by causality	operative death
	emergency room death
	industrial accident
	vehicular accident
	trauma
by suicide	suicide
suddenly and in apparent health (unexpected and unexplained)	sudden death
	unexpected death
	postpartum death
	all infants and children under 2 years of age
any suspicious or unusual manner	drug overdosage

 

In situations where the performance of a post-mortem examination is contrary to a deceased person's religious beliefs or may involve a delay in burial contrary to that person's religious beliefs, the coroner may elect defer autopsy unless there is compelling public necessity.

(1) If there is disagreement about whether an autopsy is contrary to the deceased person's religious beliefs, the coroner will consider only the information provided by the person of highest priority for delivery of consent (see next section).