Evening star., 1942-05-15
Coroner Fights
Bill 10 Abolish
Inquest System
Macdonald Asserts
Medical Examiner
Would Cost More

coroner f.. Magruder Macdonald
and the Commissioners disagreed
before Senate subcommittee today
over the wisdom of abolishing the
inquest system and substituting a
medical examiner who would report
his findings direct to the United
States attorney.
DR.. Macdonald, who has been
coroner since 1881, testified the new
system would cost considerably more
to operate, and would amount to
nothing more than a change of title
and withdrawal of the coroner's
present power as a committing
magistrate
The Commissioners. in a letter
read at the opening of the hearing,
had argued that too many un-
necessary inquests" are held because
OF lack of personnel and equipment
for determining cause of death.
Defends Present System.
Asked by Senator Burton, Repub-
lican, of Ohio, to comment on the
Commissioners letter, DR.. Mac
Donald said he could not understand
why reference was made to too
many inquests" and did not know
the basis for the statement. He
had pointed out previously that the
maintenance expenses, including
jury and witness fees, are held
within $1,000 a year by swearing in
jury for an entire day and taking
up two or more cases in succession,
The total cost of the present sys-
tenn, expenses and salaries, are s2O.-
600 a year, DR.. Macdonald said,
insisting the new plan would cost
considerably more.
When Senator Burton inquired
why, DR.. Macdonald said the cost
would be greater because the pend
ing bill provides for what has not
been hitherto provided Asked what
additional needs exist in the pres
ent setup, the coroner said he would
be satisfied with one technician. He
said he had not studied the Ian
guage of the pending bill, but that
the plan he understood was under
consideration some time ago would
require more personnel to operate.
While the proposed medical ex-
aminer would have no jurors, DR..
Macdonald said he would still have
TO summon witnesses. On the basic
question of eliminating the coroner's
hearing before jury. DR.. MacDon-
aid said he believed the public
should share the responsibility and
that the aPcI1cad cho,,lJ bouo tLa
protection Of his peers.
Trend Throughout Country.
Corporation Counsel Keech testi-
fed the trend throughout the coun-
try is toward this change in the
method of determining cause Of
death.
Mr.. Keech pointed out that when
a coroner's jury holds a suspect the
grand jury may ignore the charges.
On the other hand, if the coroner's
jury exonerates person. the district
attorney may Immediately order the
suspect held for grand jury action.
This prompted Mr.. Keech to call
the present system economically un-
sound. The Commissioners letter
also argued that the inquest system
exposes the Governments case to
counsel for the accused. whereas the
accused frequently declines to testify
because any statement he makes at
the inquest may be used against him
in later proceedings.
DR.. William c. Woodward, who
was District coroner in 1893. later
District health officer and in recent
years head of the Bureau of Legal
Medicine of the American Medical
Association, agreed with Corporation
Counsel Keech that the move
throughout the country is distinctly
toward the abolition of the coroner
system and substitution of the med
ical examiner plan.
Would End Legal Powers.
D.. Woodward suggested revision
of the bill. however. to strip the
medical examiner of legal functions,
so that he would merely report the
scientific facts as to the cause of
death.
At the same time, he declared the
public and interested parties should
have the right to be represented at
autopSies, and said there were times
when public hearing in the pres
ence of jury would be desirable.
such as in the event of catastrophies
or a succession of similar accidents.
Both Mr.. Keech and DR.. Wood
ward told the subcommittee they
had the highest regard for the
present coroner, and Senator Bur-
ton. who presided. emphasized the
subcommittee was considering
merely the relative merits of the