Coroner Research Paper

There are different roles that go into a death system; and one of them is the coroner’s office. A coroner’s office determines who the deceased was and how, when and where their death happened. When it comes to a coroner’s office there are different views on coroners and their qualifications. Through my research you will see that many states either have a coroner’s office or a medical examiner system. There are many aspects that go into working in a coroner’s office. Coroners have to go through different producers before they can release a body. You will see why the coroner’s office role in the death system.
Most coroners are usually people that have been elected to office. Most coroners are qualified to be at least forensic pathologists, but
A doctor may report the death to a coroner if the cause of death is unknown, violent or unnatural, sudden and unexplained; those were just a few that would be sent in to a coroner. “Example of a sudden and unexpected death would be, if the heart attack is caused by the deceased having been left bound and gagged for many hours by a burglar.”(Urpeth, 2010, p131) Coroners are mostly ascribed to a natural cause because the doctor is unclear of which natural cause it is (Urpeth, 2010). If the coroner decides that the cause of the death is known, and then the doctor signs a medical certificate, it’s then taken to the registrar. The coroner issues a certificate to a registrar stating that a post-mortem isn’t needed. A post-mortem is an examination of a deceased body to determine the cause of death. A post-mortem is either done in a hospital or mortuary. If satisfied that the death is natural, no post-mortem examination is carried out and the coroner completes a form. If it is unclear whether the death is natural or not, a post-mortem examination is carried out (Urpeth, 2010). “For example, if it is known that the deceased died of a cardiac event of cause unknown, a coroner may order a partial postmortem limited to the thoracic cavity.” (Urpeth, 2010, p131) Many families object to having a post-mortem examination but you cannot object a coroner’s post-mortem. After the post-mortem the coroner releases the body to the family or funeral home once they have completed the post-mortem examinations and no further examination is needed. If the body is released with no inquest, the coroner will send a form to the registrar stating the cause of death. Another process which a coroner would examine is an inquest. An inquest is a judicial inquiry to ascertain the facts relating to an incident, such as a death. A coroner would have to do an inquest if the cause of death is still unknown or if the person died