NCJ Number
84292
Date Published
1981
Length
22 pages
Annotation
The operation of the New York City Medical Examiner's Office is described, as well as the law under which it operates.
Abstract
The rights, duties, obligations, and procedures of the medical examiner are delineated by law as specified by governmental and administrative regulations. Upon any death by criminal violence, the officer in charge of the police command in the precinct of the crime must immediately notify the office of chief medical examiner of the known facts about the time, place, manner, and circumstances of the death. Following this notification, it is the duty of the medical examiner on duty to proceed immediately to the crime scene and take complete charge of the body, its surroundings, and any weapon or object useful in establishing the cause of death. The medical examiner must investigate fully the essential facts concerning the circumstances of the death, taking the names and addresses of as many witnesses as is practical. Before leaving the crime scene, the examiner must reduce all facts to writing and prepare information for filing. Further, the medical examiner is responsible for taking possession of any portable objects that may be useful in establishing the cause of death. Such objects must be delivered to the police. The medical examiner who investigates the crime scene must also perform the autopsy on the deceased the next day. The autopsy should determine the cause of death. Specimens are submitted for toxicological and serological examination for more extensive analyses. Finally, the results of the investigation, autopsy findings, toxicological, and serological reports are incorporated in a certified report. A copy of the report is submitted to the district attorney's office. Details are provided on the techniques used in the preliminary investigation and autopsy.