55 ILCS 5/3-3013
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 55 - COUNTIES|55 ILCS 5/ - Counties Code.|Article 3 - Officers And Employees

 (from Ch. 34, par. 3-3013)Sec. 3-3013. Preliminary investigations; blood and urine analysis;  summoning jury; reports.  Every coroner, whenever, as soon as he knows or is  informed that the dead body of any person is found, or lying within his  county, whose death is suspected of being:(a) A sudden or violent death, whether apparently     suicidal, homicidal or accidental, including but not limited to deaths apparently caused or contributed to by thermal, traumatic, chemical, electrical or radiational injury, or a complication of any of them, or by drowning or suffocation, or as a result of domestic violence as defined in the Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986;(b) A death due to a  sex crime;(c) A death where the circumstances are suspicious,     obscure, mysterious or otherwise unexplained or where, in the written opinion of the attending physician, the cause of death is not determined;(d) A death where addiction to alcohol or to any drug     may have been a contributory cause; or(e) A death where the decedent was not attended by a     licensed physician;  shall go to the place where the dead body is, and take charge of the  same and shall make a preliminary investigation into the circumstances  of the death.  In the case of death without attendance by a licensed  physician the body may be moved with the coroner's consent from the  place of death to a mortuary in the same county.  Coroners in their  discretion shall notify such physician as is designated in accordance  with Section 3-3014 to attempt to ascertain the cause of death, either by  autopsy or otherwise.In cases of accidental death involving a motor vehicle in which the  decedent was (1) the operator or a suspected operator of a motor  vehicle, or (2) a pedestrian 16 years of age or older, the coroner shall  require that a blood specimen of at least 30 cc., and if medically  possible a urine specimen of at least 30 cc.  or as much as possible up  to 30 cc., be withdrawn from the body of the decedent in a timely fashion after    the accident causing his death, by such physician as has been designated  in accordance with Section 3-3014, or by the coroner or deputy coroner or  a qualified person designated by such physician, coroner, or deputy coroner.  If the county  does not maintain laboratory facilities for making such analysis, the  blood and urine so drawn shall be sent to the Illinois State Police or any other accredited or State-certified laboratory  for analysis of the alcohol, carbon monoxide, and dangerous or  narcotic drug content of such blood and urine specimens.  Each specimen  submitted shall be accompanied by pertinent information concerning the  decedent upon a form prescribed by such laboratory.  Any  person drawing blood and urine and any person making any examination of  the blood and urine under the terms of this Division shall be immune from all  liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or  imposed.In all other cases coming within the jurisdiction of the coroner and  referred to in subparagraphs (a) through (e) above, blood, and whenever  possible, urine samples shall be analyzed for the presence of alcohol  and other drugs.  When the coroner suspects that drugs may have been  involved in the death, either directly or indirectly, a toxicological  examination shall be performed which may include analyses of blood, urine,  bile, gastric contents and other tissues. When the coroner suspects  a death is due to toxic substances, other than drugs, the coroner shall  consult with the toxicologist prior to collection of samples.  Information  submitted to the toxicologist shall include information as to height,  weight, age, sex and race of the decedent as well as medical history,  medications used by and the manner of death of decedent.When the coroner or medical examiner finds that the cause of death is due to homicidal means, the coroner or medical examiner shall cause blood and buccal specimens (tissue may be submitted if no uncontaminated blood or buccal specimen can be obtained), whenever possible, to be withdrawn from the body of the decedent in a timely fashion. For proper preservation of the specimens, collected blood and buccal specimens shall be dried and tissue specimens shall be frozen if available equipment exists.  As soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the collection of the specimens, the coroner or medical examiner shall release those specimens to the police agency responsible for investigating the death.  As soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the receipt from the coroner or medical examiner, the police agency shall submit the specimens using the agency case number to a National DNA Index System (NDIS) participating laboratory within this State, such as the Illinois State Police, Division of Forensic Services, for analysis and categorizing into genetic marker groupings. The results of the analysis and categorizing into genetic marker groupings shall be provided to the Illinois State Police and shall be maintained by the Illinois State Police in the State central repository in the same manner, and subject to the same conditions, as provided in Section 5-4-3 of the Unified Code of Corrections. The requirements of this paragraph are in addition to any other findings, specimens, or information that the coroner or medical examiner is required to provide during the conduct of a criminal investigation.In all counties, in cases of apparent  suicide, homicide, or accidental death or in other cases, within the  discretion of the coroner, the coroner may summon 8 persons of lawful age  from those persons drawn for petit jurors in the county.  The summons shall  command these persons to present themselves personally at such a place and  time as the coroner shall determine, and may be in any form which the  coroner shall determine and may incorporate any reasonable form of request  for acknowledgment which the coroner deems practical and provides a  reliable proof of service.  The summons may be served by first class mail.  From the 8 persons so summoned, the coroner shall select 6 to serve as the  jury for the inquest.  Inquests may be continued from time  to time, as the coroner may deem necessary.  The 6 jurors selected in  a given case may view the body of the deceased.  If at any continuation of an inquest one or more of the original jurors  shall be unable to continue to serve, the coroner shall fill the vacancy or  vacancies. A juror serving pursuant to this paragraph shall receive  compensation from the county at the same rate as the rate of compensation  that is paid to petit or grand jurors in the county.  The coroner shall  furnish to each juror without fee at the time of his discharge a  certificate  of the number of days in attendance at an inquest, and, upon  being presented with such certificate, the county treasurer shall pay to  the juror the sum provided for his services.In counties which have a jury commission, in cases of apparent suicide or  homicide or of accidental death, the coroner may conduct an inquest.  The jury commission shall provide  at least 8 jurors to the coroner, from whom the coroner shall select any 6  to serve as the jury for the inquest.  Inquests may be continued from time  to time as the coroner may deem necessary.  The 6 jurors originally chosen  in a given case may view the body of the deceased.  If at any continuation  of an inquest one or more of the 6 jurors originally chosen shall be unable  to continue to serve, the coroner shall fill the vacancy or vacancies.  At  the coroner's discretion, additional jurors to fill such vacancies shall be  supplied by the jury commission.  A juror serving pursuant to this  paragraph in such county shall receive compensation from the county at the  same rate as the rate of compensation that is paid to petit or grand jurors  in the county.In every case in which a fire is determined to be  a  contributing factor in a death, the coroner shall report the death to the  Office of the State Fire Marshal. The coroner shall provide a copy of the death certificate (i) within 30 days after filing the permanent death certificate and (ii) in a manner that is agreed upon by the coroner and the State Fire Marshal.In every case in which a drug overdose is determined to be the cause or a contributing factor in the death, the coroner or medical examiner shall report the death to the Department of Public Health.  The Department of Public Health shall adopt rules regarding specific information that must be reported in the event of such a death.  If possible, the coroner shall report the cause of the overdose.  As used in this Section, "overdose" has the same meaning as it does in Section 414 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.  The Department of Public Health shall issue a semiannual report to the General Assembly summarizing the reports received.  The Department shall also provide on its website a monthly report of overdose death figures organized by location, age, and any other factors, the Department deems appropriate.In addition, in every case in which domestic violence is determined to be  a  contributing factor in a death, the coroner shall report the death to the  Illinois State Police.All deaths in State institutions and all deaths of wards of the State or youth in care as defined in Section 4d of the Children and Family Services Act in  private care facilities or in programs funded by the Department of Human  Services under its powers relating to mental health and developmental  disabilities or alcoholism and substance  abuse or funded by the Department of Children and Family Services shall  be reported to the coroner of the county in which the facility is  located.  If the coroner has reason to believe that an investigation is  needed to determine whether the death was caused by maltreatment or  negligent care of the ward of the State or youth in care as defined in Section 4d of the Children and Family Services Act, the coroner may conduct a  preliminary investigation of the circumstances of such death as in cases of  death under circumstances set forth in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this  Section.  (Source: P.A. 101-13, eff. 6-12-19; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)