Ohio

Is medical death investigation system centralized, county-based, or district-based?
County-based. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.01.

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?
Coroner. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.01.

“In practice” notes
Through local ordinance, Cuyahoga County (Cuyahoga County, Ohio Code art. V,
§ 5.03) and Summit County (Summit County, Ohio Code art. IV, § 4.03) have abolished the office of coroner and created the office of medical examiner.

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 may appoint, in writing, deputy coroners, who shall be licensed physicians of good standing in their profession, one of whom may be designated as the chief deputy coroner. The coroner also may appoint pathologists as deputy coroners, who may perform autopsies, make pathological and chemical examinations, and perform other duties as directed by the coroner or recommended by the prosecuting attorney
. . . The coroner may contract for the services of deputy coroners to aid the coroner in the execution of the coroner’s powers and duties. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.05.

If so, what are the deputies’ roles?
[D]eputy coroners . . . may perform autopsies, make pathological and chemical examinations, and perform other duties as directed by the coroner or recommended by the prosecuting attorney. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.05.

What are the qualifications for deputies?
[D]eputy coroners . . . shall be licensed physicians of good standing in their profession. The coroner also may appoint pathologists as deputy coroners . . . Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.05.

Is the coroner or medical examiner position elected?
Yes. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.01.

If so, how many years is the term of office?
Four. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.01.

What are the qualifications specified by law?
(A) No person shall be eligible to the office of coroner except a physician who has been licensed to practice as a physician in this state for a period of at least two years immediately preceding election or appointment as a coroner, and who is in good standing in the person’s profession . . .

(B)(1) Beginning in calendar year 2000 and in each fourth year thereafter, each newly elected coroner, after the general election but prior to commencing the term of office to which elected, shall attend and successfully complete sixteen hours of continuing education at programs sponsored by the Ohio state coroners association . . . Hours of continuing education completed under the requirement described in division (B)(1) of this section shall not be counted toward fulfilling the continuing education requirement described in division (B)(2) of this section.

As used in division (B)(1) of this section, “newly elected coroner” means a person who did not hold the office of coroner on the date the person was elected coroner.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, beginning in calendar year 2001, each coroner, during the coroner’s four-year term, shall attend and successfully complete thirty-two hours of continuing education at programs sponsored by the Ohio state coroners association. Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, each coroner shall attend and successfully complete twenty-four of these thirty-two hours at statewide meetings, and eight of these thirty-two hours at regional meetings, sponsored by the association. The association may approve attendance at continuing education programs it does not sponsor but, if attendance is approved, successful completion of hours at these programs shall be counted toward fulfilling only the twenty-four-hour requirement described in division (B)(2) of this section.

(3) Upon successful completion of a continuing education program required by division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, the person who successfully completes the program shall receive from the association or the sponsoring organization a certificate indicating that the person successfully completed the program.

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.02.

What types of deaths are required to be investigated?
When any person dies as a result of criminal or other violent means, by casualty, by suicide, or in any suspicious or unusual manner, when any person, including a child under two years of age, dies suddenly when in apparent good health, or when any mentally retarded person or developmentally disabled person dies regardless of the circumstances, the physician called in attendance, or any member of an ambulance service, emergency squad, or law enforcement agency who obtains knowledge thereof arising from the person’s duties, shall immediately notify the office of the coroner of the known facts concerning the time, place, manner, and circumstances of the death, and any other information that is required pursuant to sections 313.01 to 313.22 of the Revised Code. Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.12.

What types of deaths are required to be autopsied?
(B) If a child under two years of age dies suddenly when in apparent good health, the death shall be reported immediately to the coroner of the county in which the death occurred . . . the coroner or deputy coroner shall perform an autopsy on the child . . . Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.121.

The coroner, deputy coroner, or pathologist shall perform an autopsy if, in the opinion of the coroner, or, in his absence, in the opinion of the deputy coroner, an autopsy is necessary, except for certain circumstances provided for in this section where a relative or friend of the deceased person informs the coroner that an autopsy is contrary to the deceased person’s religious beliefs, or the coroner otherwise has reason to believe that an autopsy is contrary to the deceased person’s religious beliefs . . . [But if] an autopsy is contrary to the deceased person’s religious beliefs, [can still be performed if] the coroner concludes the autopsy is a compelling public necessity . . . An autopsy is a compelling public necessity if it is necessary to the conduct of an investigation by law enforcement officials of a homicide or suspected homicide, or any other criminal investigation, or is necessary to establish the cause of the deceased person’s death for the purpose of protecting against an immediate and substantial threat to the public health . . . Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 313.131.

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