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§ 5-310. Medical examiner’s case records

West's Annotated Code of MarylandHealth--GeneralEffective: July 1, 2023

West's Annotated Code of Maryland
Health--General
Title 5. Death (Refs & Annos)
Subtitle 3. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Refs & Annos)
Effective: July 1, 2023
MD Code, Health - General, § 5-310
Formerly cited as MD HEALTH GEN § 5-311
§ 5-310. Medical examiner’s case records
In general
(a)(1) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall keep complete records on each medical examiner's case.
(2) The records shall be indexed properly and include:
(i) The name, if known, of the deceased;
(ii) The place where the body was found;
(iii) The date, cause, and manner of death; and
(iv) All other available information about the death.
Original report of medical examiner
(b) The original report of the medical examiner who investigates a medical examiner's case and the findings and conclusions of any autopsy shall be attached to the record of the medical examiner's case.
Records for further investigation
(c) The Chief Medical Examiner or, if the Chief Medical Examiner is absent or cannot act, the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner or an assistant medical examiner, and each deputy medical examiner promptly shall deliver to the State's Attorney for the county where the body was found a copy of each record that relates to a death for which the medical examiner considers further investigation advisable. A State's Attorney may obtain from the office of a medical examiner a copy of any record or other information that the State's Attorney considers necessary.
Record defined
(d)(1) In this subsection, “record”:
(i) Means the result of an external examination of or an autopsy on a body; and
(ii) Does not include a statement of a witness or other individual.
(2) A record of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner or any deputy medical examiner, if made by the medical examiner or by anyone under the medical examiner's direct supervision or control, or a certified transcript of that record, is competent evidence in any court in this State of the matters and facts contained in it.
Fees
(e)(1) The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall charge a reasonable fee for reports as specified in a schedule of fees defined in the regulations of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
(2) A deputy medical examiner may keep any fee collected by the deputy medical examiner.

Credits

Added as Health General § 5-311 by Acts 1982, c. 21, § 2, eff. July 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1990, c. 238, § 1, eff. July 1, 1990; Acts 2008, c. 69, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 2008. Renumbered as Health General § 5-310 by Acts 2023, c. 268, § 1, eff. July 1, 2023.
Formerly Art. 22, § 8.
MD Code, Health - General, § 5-310, MD HEALTH GEN § 5-310
Current through legislation effective through June 1, 2024, from the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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