2023 Tennessee Code › Title 38 - PREVENTION AND DETECTION OF CRIME (§§ 38-1-101 — 38-14-101) › Chapter 7 - POST-MORTEM EXAMINATIONS (§§ 38-7-101 — 38-7-201) › Part 1 - POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION ACT (§§ 38-7-101 — 38-7-119) › Section 38-7-110 - Records received as evidence - Person preparing report may be subpoenaed as witness - Reports as public documents - Release of reports

(a)
The records of the division of post mortem examination, the county medical examiner, or transcripts of the records certified to by the chief medical examiner or the deputy medical examiner or the duly appointed representative of the chief medical examiner, and the reports of the toxicology laboratory examinations performed by the testing laboratory or transcripts of the reports certified to by the director of the testing laboratory or the director's duly appointed representative, shall be received as competent evidence in any court of this state of the facts and matters contained in the records or reports.
(b)
The records referred to in this section shall be limited to the records of the results of investigation, of post mortem examinations, of the findings of autopsies and toxicological laboratory examinations, including certified reports of the toxicological laboratory examinations performed by the testing laboratory, and shall not include statements made by witnesses or other persons; provided, however, that persons who prepare reports or records given in evidence pursuant to this section shall be subpoenaed as witnesses, in either civil or criminal cases, upon demand by either party to the cause, or, when unable to appear as witnesses, shall submit a deposition upon demand by either party to the cause.
(c)
(1)
Except as provided in this subsection (c) and subsection (d), the reports of the county medical examiners, toxicological reports, and autopsy reports are public documents.
(2)
(A)
The reports of county medical examiners and autopsy reports of minors whose manner of death is listed as a homicide are not public documents.
(B)
The report of a county medical examiner or autopsy report of a minor whose manner of death is listed as a homicide may be released or inspected, as applicable, if:
(i)
The minor's parent or legal guardian is not a suspect in the circumstances of the minor's death, and the parent or legal guardian consents to the release;
(ii)
A court orders the release of the report upon a showing of good cause;
(iii)
Another state or federal law requires such release; or
(iv)
Notwithstanding § 10-7-506(a), the reports are only available for in-person inspection and no photographs, photocopies, or electronic images are taken of the reports.
(3)
Medical records of deceased persons, law enforcement investigative reports, and photographs, video, and other images of deceased persons are not public records.
(d)
(1)
Upon written petition by the district attorney general, supported by affidavit or testimony under oath from a law enforcement officer that the release of portions of a report of a county medical examiner, toxicological report or autopsy report may seriously impede or impair the investigation of a homicide or felony, a court of record may order that those portions shall not be subject to disclosure as a public document and shall remain confidential. The court shall cause a record to be kept of any testimony given in support of the petition, which record and all related documentation shall be sealed by the court and open to inspection only by a court reviewing the proceedings.
(2)
The court shall order to be held as confidential only those portions of the records the release of which would impede or impair any such investigation. The court may order public disclosure of any record that has previously been protected from disclosure, upon written application of the district attorney general; provided, that the court shall order that the records shall be open to public inspection upon the indictment and arrest of all suspects in the underlying homicide or felony, or upon the closure of the investigation into the underlying homicide or felony. Upon any such closure of the investigation, the law enforcement agency shall immediately inform the district attorney general, who shall, in turn, promptly notify the court of the altered status of the investigation.
(3)
Any person aggrieved by an order directing that any portion of a report of a county medical examiner, toxicological report or autopsy report shall remain confidential and not open for public inspection may petition the court having entered the order to set aside or modify the order. A copy of any such petition shall be served on the district attorney general. The court may order disclosure of the records previously sealed, upon the showing of a compelling reason for the disclosure. In any order granting a petitioner access to any such records, the court may make provisions as it deems necessary in the order limiting further disclosure of the records.
(4)
Nothing in this subsection (d) shall be construed as limiting the right of any defendant in any criminal proceeding to obtain discovery of any report of a county medical examiner, toxicological report or autopsy report as provided in Rule 16 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure.
(e)
(1)
If it is necessary to prepare a post-mortem examination report, then an authorized post-mortem official may obtain, in the manner prescribed in §
38-7-117
, a needed medical, mental health or hospital record pertaining to a case under investigation pursuant to §
38-7-106
.
(2)
As used in this subsection (e), "authorized post-mortem official" means:
(A)
The chief medical examiner;
(B)
A county medical examiner;
(C)
A medical investigator;
(D)
A coroner;
(E)
A deputy or assistant state medical examiner or forensic pathologist under the control or direction of the chief medical examiner; or
(F)
A deputy or assistant county medical examiner or forensic pathologist under the control or direction of a county medical examiner.
Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 906,s 1, eff. 5/3/2024.
Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 944,s 1, eff. 5/19/2014.
Acts 1961, ch. 174, § 9; 1967, ch. 399, § 6; 1971, ch. 209, § 1; 1974, ch. 495, § 1; 1980, ch. 810, § 3; T.C.A., § 38-710; Acts 1994, ch. 775, § 8; 2000, ch. 766, §§ 1 - 3; 2008 , ch. 969, §§ 17, 18.