Coroner

Coroner statutory requirements

The Coroner’s Office is a state constitutional and statutory office, of which is mandated to establish the cause and manner of death. The “cause of death” is the injury or disease, or combination of the two, responsible for initiating the train of physiological disturbances, whether brief or prolonged, which produced the fatal termination. The “manner of death” refers to the circumstances under which the cause of death arose. These circumstances include accident, natural causes, suicide, and homicide.

A common misconception people have is that the responsibility for determining the vital questions of cause and manner of death lies with law enforcement agencies. In fact, the responsibility is the coroner’s.

This office also notifies the District Attorney immediately when anyone has died from unexplained causes, external violence, or under suspicious circumstances.