Minnesota Coroner/Medical Examiner Laws

Medicolegal death investigation system

Is medical death investigation system centralized, county-based, or district-based?
County-based. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.005.

If centralized, in which department or agency is the system housed?
Not applicable.

Does the state system have a coroner, medical examiner, or coroners and medical examiners?
Coroners and medical examiners. Each county must have a coroner or medical examiner. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.005.

"In practice" notes
None.

Is there a state medical examiner?
No.

If so, what is the state medical examiner's role?
Not applicable.

In what department or agency is the state medical examiner's office located?
Not applicable.

Are there deputies?
The coroner or medical examiner may appoint one or more assistant coroners or assistant medical examiners, as necessary to fulfill the duties of the office, subject to authorization by the county board. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.05.

If so, what are the deputies' roles?
[T]o fulfill the duties of the office. When the coroner or medical examiner is absent or unable to act, assistants shall have the same powers and duties and are subject to the same limitations as the coroner or medical examiner. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.05.

What are the qualifications for deputies?
Such assistants shall have the same qualifications as a coroner or medical examiner. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.05.

Qualifications, term of office, and training

Is the coroner or medical examiner position elected?
Coroner: elected or appointed.
Medical examiner: appointed.

A coroner may be elected, as prescribed by section 382.01, or appointed in each county. A medical examiner must be appointed by the county board. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.005.

If so, how many years is the term of office?
Four. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 382.01.

What are the qualifications specified by law?
(a) The medical examiner must be a forensic pathologist who is certified or eligible for certification by the American Board of Pathology . . .

(b) The coroner must be a physician with a valid license in good standing under chapter 147, to practice medicine as defined under section 147.081, subdivision 3 . . . The coroner must obtain additional training in medicolegal death investigation, such as training by the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators, within four years of taking office, unless the coroner has already obtained this training.

(c) The coroner or medical examiner need not be a resident of the county.

Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.005.

Investigations/autopsies

What types of deaths are required to be investigated?
Reportable deaths include, but are not limited to:

(1) unnatural deaths, including violent deaths arising from homicide, suicide, or accident;

(2) deaths due to a fire or associated with burns or chemical, electrical, or radiation injury;

(3) unexplained or unexpected perinatal and postpartum maternal deaths;

(4) deaths under suspicious, unusual, or unexpected circumstances;

(5) deaths of persons whose bodies are to be cremated or otherwise disposed of so that the bodies will later be unavailable for examination;

(6) deaths of inmates of public institutions and persons in custody of law enforcement officers who have not been hospitalized primarily for organic disease;

(7) deaths that occur during, in association with, or as the result of diagnostic, therapeutic, or anesthetic procedures;

(8) deaths due to culpable neglect;

(9) stillbirths of 20 weeks or longer gestation unattended by a physician;

(10) sudden deaths of persons not affected by recognizable disease;

(11) unexpected deaths of persons notwithstanding a history of underlying disease;

(12) deaths in which a fracture of a major bone such as a femur, humerus, or tibia has occurred within the past six months;

(13) deaths unattended by a physician occurring outside of a licensed health care facility or licensed residential hospice program;

(14) deaths of persons not seen by their physician within 120 days of demise;

(15) deaths of persons occurring in an emergency department;

(16) stillbirths or deaths of newborn infants in which there has been maternal use of or exposure to unprescribed controlled substances including street drugs or in which there is history or evidence of maternal trauma;

(17) unexpected deaths of children;

(18) solid organ donors;

(19) unidentified bodies;

(20) skeletonized remains;

(21) deaths occurring within 24 hours of arrival at a health care facility if death is unexpected;

(22) deaths associated with the decedent's employment;

(23) deaths of nonregistered hospice patients or patients in nonlicensed hospice programs; and

(24) deaths attributable to acts of terrorism.

The coroner or medical examiner shall determine the extent of the coroner's or medical examiner's investigation, including whether additional investigation is needed by the coroner or medical examiner, jurisdiction is assumed, or an autopsy will be performed, notwithstanding any other statute.

Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.11.

What types of deaths are required to be autopsied?
The coroner or medical examiner may order an autopsy, at the coroner or medical examiner's sole discretion, in the case of any human death referred to in subdivision 1, when, in the judgment of the coroner or medical examiner the public interest would be served by an autopsy . . . The coroner or medical examiner shall conduct an autopsy or require that one be performed in the case of a death reported to the coroner or medical examiner by the state fire marshal or a chief officer under section 299F.04, subdivision 5, and apparently caused by fire, and in which the decedent is pronounced dead outside of a hospital or in which identification of the decedent has not been confirmed. If the decedent has died in a hospital and identification is not in question, an autopsy may be performed or ordered by the coroner or medical examiner. Minn. Stat. Ann. § 390.11.

Does the state require that pathologists perform the autopsies?
No.

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