California · Government Code

GOV §27491.1: In all cases in which a person has died under circumstances that afford a reasonable ground to suspect that the person’s death has been occasioned by the act of another by criminal means, the coroner,

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute requires a coroner to notify law enforcement immediately when a person's death appears to result from criminal means, and specifies what information must be included in that notification report.

Read the full statutory text

In all cases in which a person has died under circumstances that afford a reasonable ground to suspect that the person’s death has been occasioned by the act of another by criminal means, the coroner, upon determining that those reasonable grounds exist, shall immediately notify the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the criminal investigation. Notification shall be made by the most direct communication available. The report shall state the name of the deceased person, if known, the location of the remains, and other information received by the coroner relating to the death, including any medical information of the decedent that is directly related to the death. The report shall not include any information contained in the decedent’s medical records regarding any other person unless that information is relevant and directly related to the decedent’s death.

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