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I have also lived in areas where both systems took place and can you imagine....electing someone to show up at the scene of a death, be it natural, unnatural or otherwise...and having to rely on Joe Bob with a high school diploma and enough age to buy beer to decide if it warrants further investigation? I would assume that the coroner would heed the advice of the officers...but what about the ones who let their positon go to their heads...or just feel they know better?  Scary. I have actually had alot of dealings with the former medical examiner here in Tn...and he was an idiot too though. I told him once that it was no wonder he worked with dead people because he certainly didn't have the people skills to deal with the live ones. He left office with botched records, lost samples...screwed up reports..you name it.... But, at least you could HOPE that with his training, a medical examiner could make an educated decision.

Pleade understand I do not mean any offense to any one but some things need to be said.

I don't think the M.E. him/herself needs to visit every case but I do feel the investigator should be specially trained to spot things the average officer might miss.

As a Deputy M.E. I was trained in forensics etc. and was a part of a multijurisdictional team, a state police detective, a county detective, the city photog and the M.E. all suspious deaths were investigated by this team, each would add their expertise.

I went fron there to a coroners office in a county where little major crime took place, when a suspious death occyred the coroner, (local funeral director, more on ths later) and the police invertigator, (better with stolen bikes) would get together and decide what happened, if the body went to the crime lab for a post, the labs docs did about three times the number of recpmmended cases, the autopsy results seldom disagreed with the reports subnitted, sinse no one local attended the post no direct questions could be asked and seemingly minor items glossed over in the interest of time!

Where I was the Coroner was also just an elected Official and I am not even sure if a HS diploma was required! The Coroner was also the TOP LEO in the county and was pretty much the only guy that could arrest the Sheriff! LOL Fortunately we had a very good guy who did have a medical background. If there was ever any doubt he would ship the body off the to State ME in Columbia. Understand that at that time in SC you could and did also elect Magistrates who also did not even need a HS diploma or any training. I know of one that could not read or write so others had to fill out the warrants for him!

wagoncop says ...

Here is a classic example:

Male gets drunk goes to his ex wifes house creates a scene, steps into the field behind the house to urinate, while there shoots himself twice in the head, apparently he had two guns as an entrance wound is on either side of the head,

The coroner and the police "investigator" decide it is suicide, write it up that way and send the body for post.

 

Next day the ex-wife comes in with a question, she wanted to know if we could tell how far away the gun was when he was shot.

I asked the coroner if that didn't seem just a little suspious, he gave me an uncomprehending look and said no!

 

Rules a suicide!

Somehow I am not suprised!! Heck, even as a Cop I would say the investigation has just been reopened to investigate a possible Homicide.... 

I too have worked under both.  I started out with a coroner who was also the most popular bondsman (can you say dirty bondsman).  He was actually half way knowledgable and would kind of pay attention to the LEO's recommendations.  He then was ousted by a new state law saying you oould not be both (he was one of only two in the state that did both.  sounds kinda like a personal vendeta law, don't you think?).  Then we got an older ountry boy who had no experience in investigations.  His son had been a Poice Officer but the Coroner himself had no experience.  Yes he went for a short trining session but nothing like a M.E.

Then I moved to a new county where we have a M.E. who responds to most D.I.s.  Our Detectives respond to EVERY D.I., and then they make a decision whether or not to call the M.E.....  I prefer working with a M.E.  One of our deputies is also an  assistant M.E. when ever she is off duty and the M.E. needs help.