California Government Code ARTICLE 2 - Inquests

• Section 27490.
  The coroner shall hold inquests pursuant to this article.(Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.)
• Section 27491.
  It shall be the duty of the coroner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of all violent, sudden, or unusual deaths;...
• Section 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...
• Section 27491.2.
  (a) The coroner or the coroner’s appointed deputy, on being informed of a death and finding it to fall into the classification of deaths requiring his...
• Section 27491.25.
  The coroner, or the coroner’s appointed deputy, on being notified of a death occurring while the deceased was driving or riding in a motor vehicle,...
• Section 27491.3.
  (a) In any death into which the coroner is to inquire, the coroner may take charge of any and all personal effects, valuables, and property of...
• Section 27491.4.
  (a) For purposes of inquiry the coroner shall, within 24 hours or as soon as feasible thereafter, where the suspected cause of death is sudden infant...
• Section 27491.41.
  (a) For purposes of this section, “sudden infant death syndrome” means the sudden death of any infant that is unexpected by the history of the infant...
• Section 27491.43.
  (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, except as otherwise provided in this section, in any case in which the coroner, before the beginning of an autopsy, dissection,...
• Section 27491.44.
  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the coroner is authorized to do all of the following:(a) Assist the people of this state, as appropriate, in the...
• Section 27491.45.
  (a) (1) The coroner shall have the right to retain parts of the body, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 7150.1 of the Health and Safety...
• Section 27491.46.
  (a) The coroner shall have the right to retain pituitary glands solely for transmission to a university, for use in research or the advancement of medical...
• Section 27491.47.
  (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the coroner may, in the course of an autopsy, authorize the removal and release of corneal eye tissue from a body...
• Section 27491.5.
  The cause of death appearing on a certificate of death signed by the coroner shall be in conformity with facts ascertained from inquiry, autopsy and...
• Section 27491.55.
  In any case where a coroner is required to inquire into a death pursuant to Section 27491, the coroner may delegate his or her jurisdiction...
• Section 27491.6.
  The coroner may also, in his discretion, if the circumstances warrant, hold an inquest, and he shall hold an inquest if requested to do so...
• Section 27491.7.
  The coroner, his authorized deputy, or a hearing officer shall conduct the inquest.(Added by Stats. 1969, Ch. 1220.)
• Section 27491.8.
  (a) When the coroner seeks a confidential communication of a deceased person that is privileged under Article 6 (commencing with Section 990) or Article 7 (commencing...
• Section 27492.
  The coroner shall summon, or cause to be summoned by any sheriff or policeman, not less than nine nor more than 15 persons, qualified by...
• Section 27493.
  No person summoned is exempt from jury duty except at the discretion of the coroner. No person shall be summoned as juror who is related...
• Section 27497.
  After the jury has been sworn and charged by the coroner it may, if deemed necessary and so ordered by him, go with him to...
• Section 27498.
  (a) The coroner may issue subpoenas for witnesses, returnable forthwith or at such time and place as the coroner appoints, which may be served by any...
• Section 27499.
  The coroner shall summon and examine as witnesses every person who in his opinion or that of any of the jury has any knowledge of...
• Section 27499.1.
  Where the names and addresses of possible witnesses have been furnished to the coroner by the next of kin of the deceased, an attorney for...
• Section 27500.
  Any witness served with a subpena who wilfully and without reasonable excuse fails to attend and testify is guilty of a misdemeanor.(Added by Stats. 1947,...
• Section 27501.
  The coroner may adjourn the inquest from time to time as may be necessary.(Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.)
• Section 27502.
  The coroner shall cause the testimony given by any witness to be reduced to writing or recorded either in shorthand or by a mechanical recording...
• Section 27502.2.
  The inquest verdict or decision shall be inadmissible as evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding.(Added by Stats. 1969, Ch. 1220.)
• Section 27503.
  The transcript of the testimony of the witnesses examined in the coroner’s inquest shall be completed and filed within 10 days following the inquest with...
• Section 27504.
  After hearing the testimony, the jury shall render its verdict and certify it by an inquisition in writing signed by the members of the jury,...
• Section 27504.1.
  If the findings are that the deceased met his or her death at the hands of another, the coroner shall, in addition to filing the...
• Section 27511.
  There shall be but one inquest upon a body, unless that taken is set aside by the court, and there shall be but one inquest...
• Section 27512.
  If it appears that an error in the identity of the body has been made by the jury, the coroner may call another inquest without...

Last modified: October 22, 2018