Year: 1868




AN ACT TO REGULATE AND DEFINE THE DUTIES AND


TO sTIPULATE THE JURISDICTION AND EMoLUMENTs


OF CORONER.


SECTION /. Be IL enacted By the Senate and
House of Representatives. Of The State Of Louisi-
ana in General Assembly convened. That cor
oper shall be elected in each parish by the quali-
fed electors thereof, except in the parish of Or.
leans in which there shall be two coroners so
elected, one to perform the duties of coroner on
the left bank, below middle Of Canal street, In
coroner on the left bank, above middle of Canal.
and also in that part of the parish known as Or
leans right bank that said coroners shall hold
their offices for the term of two years respective.
ly that an election for said coroners having been
held in accordance with the provisions of the Con-
sttution adopted March 2, one thousand eight hun
dred and sixty-eight, articles one hundred and
ffty-three (l53) and one hundred and fifty-four
tl54), future elections shall be held every two
years thereafter, to wit, on the seventeenth and
eighteenth days of April, whenever the said days
shall not fall on Sundays or legalized holidays,
and when they or either of them shall 60 fall, on
the nearest secular day or days thereafter res
pectively; that every coroner shall take the oath
prescribed by the Constitution, and shall give
bond and security according to law, in the parish
of Orleans, in the sum of twenty five thousand
dollars and In the other parishes Of the State, in
the sum of two thousand dollars, for the due per.
formance Of the duties OF his ONCE: should va
cancy occur subsequent to an election. it shall be
filed by the governor. and the person so appoint.
ed shall continue in Office until bis successor shall
be elected and qualified.


SEC. 2. BE Il further enacted, ETC., That no
person shall be eligible for the office of coroner,
either by election by the people, or appointment
by the governor of the State. who is not lawful
citizen of the State, Of fair education good moral
character, and possessed of general business quail
tiles, and that 1t shall not be necessary that he
shall have had medical or surgical education or
have been regular practitioner of either branch
Of science.


SEC. 8. Be IL further enacted etc.. That the
coroner shall be a conservator of the peace.


SEC. 4. Be Il further enacted, etc., That in case
Of vacancy in the Office of sheriff, the coroner for
the portion of the parish Of Orleans on the left
bank below the middle Of Canal street, shall exc
cute the duties of sheriff of the criminal court; /;
on the left bank above the middle of Canal street,
and on the right bank shall execute the duties of
sheriff of the civil courts until the appointment or
election of q new sheriff; and while acting as said
are allowed by law to the sheriff. In country
parishes the coroner shall in like manner fill vacan
cies in the Office of sheriff.


SEC. s. BE Il further enacted. etc.. That 1t
shall be the duty Of the coroner being Informed
of the violent death Of any person within his jurs-
diction, the cause of which is unknown, imme.
diately to proceed to view the body and make all
proper inquiry respecting the cause and manner
Of the death and II from such inquiry he shall
be satisfied that person has been guilty Of caus-
ing or procuring the death, and that there are no
suspicious circumstances attending it, he shall,
without further proceedings therein. deliver the
body to the friends If any there be. for interment
in case there are no friends who will take charge
of the body and If the deceased shall not have
left property sufficient TO pay the expenses of the
burial then it shall be the duty of the coroner to
bury it.


SEC. 6. Be il further enacted, etc., That where
nquests are not held the coroner shall issue GER
tifcate of the following or similar import: l., -
coroner of the parish (or district as the case may
be,) Of -, having been notified OF the death Of
-, and having viewed the body Of the said =
and made inquiry respecting his death, do certify
that am satisfied no guilt attaches to any person
by reason of the death, and that an inquest is IN
necessary. And where it shall have become ne
ceesary for the coroner to bury the dead body
the certificate shall continue and say: That the
deceased has no friends who appear to take
charge of and bury his body. nor as / can sscer.
tain, has he left property sufficient TO defrsy the
expenses thereof, have, therefore, buried the