Los Santos Department of Coroner

[Law]

 

Los Santos County Department of Coroner

"Law and Science Serving the Community"

 

The Los Santos County Department of Coroner is a faction that focuses on providing realistic coroner/forensics role play to the server. The faction structure is smaller than but is inspired on the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

 

 

The Los Santos County Department of Coroner was founded in 1889 when the County of Los Santos was established, several years after the founding of Blaine County. 

With the support from the County of Los Santos, the Department of Coroner migrated to the old Los Santos General Hospital building; opposite the Central Los Santos Medical Center. The department has been appointed Zoe Randall, a Chief Medical Examiner who is a board-certified and trained forensic pathologist.

Due to the strong relationship with the County of Los Santos, the department is able to assist the Los Santos Police Department detectives, solving homicide crimes, accidental deaths and natural causes of death. Also helping other interested parties such as private investigators.
 

 

The Department of Coroner is mandated by law to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of all violent, sudden, or unusual deaths occurring within Los Santos County, including all homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and natural deaths where the decedent has not seen a physician within 20 days prior to death.

 

By state law, it is the responsibility of the department to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of deaths which fall within its jurisdiction. These deaths include any suspected homicide, suicide, or accidental deaths. These also include any natural death were there either is no physician to sign a death certificate, or the physician is unwilling or legally prohibited from doing so. Additionally, other certain causes of death are also mandated to be investigated by the coroner. 

The department’s responsibilities also include the identification of decedents. Identification may be as simple as matching the decedent to a driver’s license or other identification documents. The identification process may need to utilize fingerprints, dental records, body x-rays or DNA testing. Identifying the decedent’s next of kin, notifying them of the death and securing the decedent’s personal property are additional responsibilities of the department. In deaths where the decedent died at the scene, department personnel is responsible for removal and transportation of the decedent. The Office works with numerous medical and law enforcement agencies to understand how these people lost their lives, to seek justice and bring closure to families.

 

 

 

The Los Santos County Coroner Office is a forensic building and morgue, bordered by Innocence Boulevard, Strawberry Avenue, Capital Boulevard and Crusade Road in Strawberry, Los Santos, just facing the Central Los Santos Medical Center.

 

 

 

Chief Medical Examiner

 

The Chief Medical Examiner, through their office, is responsible for identifying victims of crimes, accidents and other events. They may allow a family member to assist in identifying the dead person. Mainly responsible for working with the law enforcement, appearing on crimes scenes and testifying in court with autopsy reports and collected evidence.

 

((Highest responsibility: Puzzles together the faction’s future and activity. Answers to Law Enforcement or any other interested parties such as private investigators.))

 

Deputy Coroner

 

The Deputy Coroner is to determine the manner and cause of death, whether natural or violent, as well as to identify the remains. This may include investigative work at the death scene, and it may include interpretation of autopsy results. Deputy coroners are not necessarily required to perform autopsies, but may if they are also board-certified pathologists. Once the case has been solved, it is the deputy coroner's duty to prepare forms such as the deceased's death certificate, plus any additional state or local forms required.

 

((Medium responsibility: Taking some work from the shoulders of positions above and below; especially if they decide to roleplay autopsies themselves. Must turn to Chief if unsure whether the story adds up with the autopsy report findings.))

 

Deputy Medical Examiner

 

The Deputy Medical Examiner is to (under the general direction of the Medical Examiner) collaboratively investigate deaths to determine apparent cause and manner of death, determine jurisdiction, and determine the disposition of the body, in accordance with applicable state law. Serves as Inquest Authority under the direction of Chief Medical Examiner.

 

((High responsibility: Works with Chief Medical Examiner to match up the story to the pathological findings, mainly creating autopsies reports and finalizing investigation cases.))

 

Medical Examiner

 

The Medical Examiner is responsible for investigating the human organs like the stomach, liver, brain; determining cause of death; examining the condition of the body; studying tissue, organs, cells, and bodily fluids; issuing death certificates; maintaining death records; responding to deaths in mass disasters and identifying the unknown dead.

 

((High responsibility: Must have high roleplay standards when roleplaying the autopsy to make sure all evidence isn’t powergamed. Autopsy notes and assistance provided by Chief if needed.))

 

Coroner

 

Unlike the appointed positions above, coroners are usually elected by the county. Coroners are qualified pathologists with years of experience, sometimes in totally unrelated fields, coming in forms of Sheriffs, Pharmacists and even Farmers. Their responsibilities are to simply identify the body, the next of kin, collect and return any personal belongings on the body to the family of the deceased, finishing off with a death certificate.

 

((Low responsibility: Must have “fair” roleplay standards when roleplaying. This ensures that all parties involved are happy, includes identifying the body with passive database searches using DNA samples and returning possessions to family members.))

 

 

Operations Bureau

 

Decedent Services (All Coroners)

Responsible for the transportation, processing, storage, and release of decedent's bodies. Bodies are recovered from any death scene including in public view, homes, and hospitals.

 

Disaster and Community Services (Majority Coroners and Medical Examiners)

Ensures a coordinated departmental response as one of the lead Los Santos County agencies to major and minor emergencies involving fatalities that require operation of an Emergency Operation Center.

 

Special Operations Response Team (3-4 Coroners and Medical Examiners)

Provides a response in the event of any Mass Fatality Incident (MFI) or a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, or High Explosive (CBRNE) incident.

 

Forensic Lab Bureau

 

Forensic Medicine Division (All Medical Examiners)

The physicians autopsy and examine the Coroner’s cases, determine cause and mode of death, prepare autopsy reports, and testify in court. Forensic technicians assist in autopsy, and photograph and x-ray decedents.

 

Administration Bureau

 

Administrative Services (Chief and Deputies)

Responsible for all financial operations, human resources, diversity, information technology, and other functions necessary to support the mission of the Department.

 

 

For Families

Select a funeral home and inform the Funeral Director that the death is being handled by the Los Santos County Department of Coroner. Ask them to notify us as soon as possible that they will be handling the arrangements. Our office does not select funeral homes, nor do we make arrangements. We must be provided with a notarized written authorization to release the deceased, signed and dated by the legal next of kin with the following information:

Decedent name:
Coroner case number:
Your name and phone number:
Your relationship to the decedent:
Name of selected Funeral Director:
 

For Law Enforcement

The San Andreas State Government Code and Health & Safety Code require that the Coroner is notified whenever a person dies and their death is the result of criminal means or other unnatural causes. Additionally, certain other natural deaths fall under the jurisdiction of the Coroner simply because there either is no physician to sign a death certificate, or the physician is unwilling or legally prohibited from doing so.

 

For Landlords/Property Owners

Upon completion of a death investigation at a residence or place of business, the Coroner may seal the location, residence or room to protect and preserve the decedent’s personal property on behalf of the legal next of kin. Depending on the circumstances and the status of the next of kin, a Coroner Seal may be utilized. The seal prohibits entry into the sealed premises without permission. In order to enter a sealed residence, you need to obtain authorization from the agency listed on the seal.  If the seal is blue, the Coroner's Office must be contacted at [email protected] to obtain authorization. ((In Character Email through Forum Message))

 

Certain deaths may result in blood or biological tissue or fluids remaining at the scene of an injury or death. The department is not responsible for nor does it provide cleaning services to these locations. Families, landlords, and property owners are advised to contract with a State Registered Trauma Scene Practitioner for biohazard cleaning.

 

For Hospitals

Once a patient is declared dead and falls under the jurisdiction of the Coroner as required by the San Andreas Government and Health & Safety Code, the following becomes applicable:

 

The body may not be used for training or practice. No photographs or fingerprints may be taken. No evidence shall be removed or collected (including Gunshot Residue). Medical apparatus shall remain in place. The body should not be moved from its location without the knowledge and consent of the Coroner personnel.

 

The clothing and personal property, regardless of whether it is on the body or removed from the body, belongs to the Coroner. Evidence or personal property may not be released to a law enforcement agency or next of kin without the knowledge and consent of the Coroner.

 

The death must be reported to the Coroner immediately. This may be done by hospital staff or in some cases, such as homicides and traffic collisions, the responsible law enforcement agency.

 

For Media

Department of Coroner

Zoe Randall, Chief Medical Examiner

[email protected] ((In Character Email through Forum Message))

 

 

Case

If the coroner’s office is investigating the death of your loved one, Decedent Affairs can provide you with the case number assigned by the county, which you will need when contacting the coroner’s office.

 

After receiving the case number, contact the coroner’s office to request case details, some details may be deferred.

 

First Name:

Last Name:

Date of Birth:

Age:

Date of Death:

Case Number:

 

[email protected] ((In Character Email through Forum Message))

 

 

Announcements

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Press Releases

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Media

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September Pinboard ((OOC))

 

September's End Pinboard ((OOC))

 

 

 

Statistics

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Send letters of interest to [email protected]  ((In Character Email through Forum Message))

 

 

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This faction has high standards from all who join or affiliate themselves with the faction. This ensures that only the best roleplay is portrayed personally and publically on the faction topic. If you have an excessive admin history or major red flags, you may be denied to join the faction. Any admin history that includes you causing a faction to be striked, you will be denied.

 

This faction also classes as a trusted department within the County of Los Santos meaning corruption is prohibited. Any in character and out of character actions that sabotage the faction’s finances, standards of roleplay or existence; is not accepted here and you will be removed. This is in link with breaking the rules.

 

Any screenshots that may incite metagaming must be censored, blurring faces at crime scenes that are confidential. Any public cases can remain uncensored, if unsure, ask faction leader. If you’re given in-character permission not to blur the faces of a crime scene, make sure you get in-character evidence; this will be explained when employed.

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Edited October 8, 2018 by Atiku