They will attend a 40 hour course, complete an extern ship with a board certified pathologist, and pass an exam. 16 hours of continuing education are required annually. The coroner is responsible for identification of the deceased, determination of the cause of death and determination of the manner of death. The coroner is responsible for the personal property of the deceased. The coroner is obligated to release certain information regarding each coroner s case, including the cause and manner of death.
Demographic information is considered public, such as name, age, race and address of deceased.
Limited information regarding an autopsy will be released, such as date, person who performed it, where performed and location to which body was removed. The coroner can only release records produced in the process of the investigation. In the age of television we expect investigations to be completed in the 60 minute time frame. When the cause of death is dependent upon the pathologist s study and lab tests, 4-6 weeks or more may be necessary. More in depth tests than the familiar breathalyzer are used and instant answers are not possible.