2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 19a-406. (Formerly Sec. 19-530). Powers and duties of Chief Medical Examiner. Certified pathologists. Autopsies.
Sec. 19a-406. (Formerly Sec. 19-530). Powers and duties of Chief Medical Examiner. Certified pathologists. Autopsies. (a) The Chief Medical Examiner shall investigate all human deaths in the following categories: (1) Violent deaths, whether apparently homicidal, suicidal or accidental, including but not limited to deaths due to
thermal, chemical, electrical or radiational injury and deaths due to criminal abortion,
whether apparently self-induced or not; (2) sudden or unexpected deaths not caused by
readily recognizable disease; (3) deaths under suspicious circumstances; (4) deaths of
persons whose bodies are to be cremated, buried at sea or otherwise disposed of so as
to be thereafter unavailable for examination; (5) deaths related to disease resulting from
employment or to accident while employed; (6) deaths related to disease which might
constitute a threat to public health. The Chief Medical Examiner may require autopsies
in connection with deaths in the preceding categories when it appears warranted for
proper investigation and, in the opinion of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Deputy Chief
Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner or an authorized assistant medical
examiner, an autopsy is necessary. The autopsy shall be performed at the Office of the
Chief Medical Examiner or by a designated pathologist at a community hospital. Where
indicated, the autopsy shall include toxicologic, histologic, microbiologic and serologic
examinations. If a medical examiner has reason to suspect that a homicide has been
committed, the autopsy shall be performed at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
or by a designated pathologist in the presence of at least one other designated pathologist
if such other pathologist is immediately available. A detailed description of the findings
of all autopsies shall be written or dictated during their progress. The findings of the
investigation at the scene of death, the autopsy and any toxicologic, histologic, serologic
and microbiologic examinations and the conclusions drawn therefrom shall be filed in
the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
(c) If there are no other circumstances which would appear to require an autopsy and if the investigation of the circumstances and examination of the body enable the Chief Medical Examiner, the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner or an authorized assistant medical examiner to conclude with reasonable certainty that death occurred from natural causes or obvious traumatic injury, the medical examiner in charge shall certify the cause of death and file a report of his findings in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
(1969, P.A. 699, S. 6, 7; 1971, P.A. 412, S. 2; 735; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 79-47, S. 9; P.A. 80-190, S. 8; P.A. 84-9; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-180, S. 62, 166.)
History: 1971 acts added Subsec. (c) and required that official requiring autopsy make reasonable effort to notify person assuming custody of body for burial; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-47 added word "chief" in titles of agency and deputy medical examiner, changed provision re performance of autopsies to require performance at office of chief medical examiner or at community hospital by pathologist, previously required that autopsy be performed by chief or deputy chief medical examiner or by pathologist without reference to place where performed; P.A. 80-190 removed coroners and deputy coroners as persons who may request autopsies in Subsec. (b); Sec. 19-530 transferred to Sec. 19a-406 in 1983; P.A. 84-9 restated provisions re autopsy procedure; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-180 made a technical grammatical change, effective June 3, 1996.
See Sec. 19a-286 re consent to postmortem examination or autopsy.
See Sec. 19a-413 re autopsy of exhumed body.
See Sec. 20-101a re pronouncement of death by a registered nurse.
Annotations to former section 19-530:
Cited. 201 C. 448, 450.
Cited. 5 CA 316, 323, 324.
Annotations to present section:
Cited. 201 C. 448, 450.
Cited. 4 CA 468, 483.
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