HomeMy WebLinkAbout029 75 JEFFERSON COUhIi~ CORONER' S RULES
UNDER 1~ AUTHORITY VESTED IN ~ BY Chapter 178, Section 1, Laws of the State of
Wasl~ington, 1963 (RCW 68.08.010), I hereby adopt the following RULES relating
to bodies of deceased persons:
I.
The jurisdiction of bodies of all deceased persons who come to their
death suddenly when in apparent good health without medical attendance within
the thirty-six (36) hours preceding death; or where the circumstances of death
indicate death was caused by unnatural or unlawful means; or where death
occurs under suspicious circumstances; or where a coroner's autopsy or post
mortem or coroner's inquest is to be held; or where death results from unknown
or obscure causes, or where death occurs within one year following an accident;
or where the death is caused by any violence whatsoever, or where death results
.from a known or suspected abortion; whether selfinduced or otherwise~ where
death apparently results from drowning, hanging, burns, electrocution,
gunshot wounds, stabs or cuts, lightning, starvation, radiation exposure ~
alcoholism, narcotics or other addictions, tetanus, strangulations, suffoca-
tion or smothering; or where death is due to premature birth or still birth;
or where death is due to a violent contagious disease or suspected contagious
disease which may be a public health hazard~ or where death results from
alleged rape, carnal knowledge or sodomy, where death occurs in a jail or
prison; where a body is found dead or is not claims by relatives or friends,
is hereby vested in the County Coroner. (RCW 68.08.010)
II.
A blood sample shall be taken in accordance with the methods
prescribed by the State Toxicologist from the deceased bodies of all drivers
and pedestrians killed in any traffic accident where the death occurred within
four hours after the accident and if the victim is fifteen (15) years of age
or older. (RCW 46.52. 065).
III.
Every person who knows of the existence and location of a dead body
coming under the jurisdiction of the Coroner as set forth in RCW 68.08.010,
(I. above) shall notify the Coroner thereof in the most expeditious manner
possible. Any person knowing of the existence of such dead body and not
having good reason to believe that the Coroner has notice thereof and who
shall fail to give notice to the Coroner as aforesaid, shall be guilty of a
misd~neanor, and upon conviction thereof may be sentenced to up to ninety (90)
davs in jail or fined an amount up to TWo Hundred Fifty and 00/100 Dollars
'($250.00). (RCW 68.08.020).
IV.
Any person, not authorized by the Coroner or his deputies, who removes
the body of a deceased person coming under the jurisdiction of the coroner
as set forth in RCW 68.08. 010, (I. above) to any undertaking rooms or
elsewhere, or any person who directs, aids or abets such takings, and any
person who conceals the body of a deceased person for the purpose of taking
the same to any undertaking rooms or elsewhere, shall in each of said cases
be guilty of a gross misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be
punished by fine of not rare than ONE THOUSAND and 00/100 Dollars ($1,000.00),
or by imprisonment in the county j.ail for not rare than one year or by both
fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court. (RCW 68.08. 050)
All reports of autopsies shall be deemed confidential information and
shall be disclosed only to persons authorized by law to have such information.
(RCW 68.08.105).
Coroner's Rules - p. 1
No embalnzing, cremation or autopsies shall be performed upon any
deceased person cc~ing under jurisdiction of the Coroner, without the
consent of the Coroner. Failure to obtain such consent is a misdemeanor.
(RCW 68.08.108).
All deceased persons, only after the express au~lorization of the
Coroner or his deputies, be removed to the place designated by the Coroner
or Deputy Coroner. Nothing in this rule shall be construed to prevent any
person from, in good faith, performing life-saving measures upon any person,
including transportation of such persons to medical treatment.
All deceased persons shall be identified as expeditiously as possible
and an inventory of their personal effects shall be prepared and delivered
to the Coroner.
Personal effects of the deceased shall be delivered to the authorized
representative of the deceased only upon the authority of the Coroner and
only after the representative has signed an appropriate, "CORONER'S RECEI~
FOR PERSONAL EFFECTS OF DECEASED".
DEATH CERTIFICATES. Copies of death certificates may not be obtained
frc~the county Coroner, nor may any information on the certificate be
obtained from the Coroner, by the public.
XI.
CORONER'S DEPUTIES. The Coroner may appoint deputy Coroners to
assist him and they-shall be.bonded ,in the 6mount 'of'?$ ~.:~'
All appointment of Coroner's deputies must be approved b~'~he Board of
Jefferson County Co~nissioners except that the following persons are hereby
approved as Deputy Coroners by the Board:
1. John G. Doubek
Chief of Police
3. Ernest WilliamBooth, Jr.
Deputy Sheriff, Jefferson County
Leland B. Smith
Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff
Promulgated ~his ~' day of J~e, 1975.
..~: ~:,~ J~fferson ~ounty Prosecu~g Atto~oroner....
-'~ ~P~S~ BY ~SOL~ION ~is ~day of J~e, 1975.
Coroner's Rules P~solution - P. 2