52:17B-83. County medical examiner; appointment; term
6. The office of county medical examiner is hereby created and shall be maintained in each county, except that several counties may jointly maintain the office on a cooperative basis. The office shall be directed by a county medical examiner who shall be appointed by the board or boards of chosen freeholders of the county or counties maintaining such office for a term of five years; provided, however, that any person in office as county physician or chief medical examiner on the effective date of this act shall continue as county medical examiner until the expiration of the term for which he was appointed. The county medical examiner shall be a licensed physician, of recognized ability and good standing in his community, with such training or experience as may be prescribed by standards promulgated by the State Medical Examiner by rule or regulation.
If the board of chosen freeholders shall fail to appoint a county medical examiner or if the office of county medical examiner shall become vacant or upon the written request of any assignment judge of the Superior Court or of the board of chosen freeholders of the county, the State Medical Examiner shall designate one of his assistants to perform the duties of the office. Whenever the State Medical Examiner shall have taken over the duties of a county medical examiner, he shall have all the authority conferred by law upon a county medical examiner and he may appoint such assistants, aides, investigators or other personnel as he may deem necessary. In such event, the treasurer of the county or counties, as the case may be, shall reimburse the Office of the State Medical Examiner or its designee for all costs incurred in properly conducting the county's death investigations and performing all other functions of the county medical examiner.
The State Medical Examiner may promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to effectuate the purposes of this section.
L.1967,c.234,s.6; amended 1971, c.131, s. 1; 1991, c. 91, s.499; amended 1995,c.154.
Section: Previous 52-17b-77.12 52-17b-78 52-17b-79 52-17b-79.1 52-17b-79.2 52-17b-80 52-17b-81 52-17b-83 52-17b-84 52-17b-85 52-17b-86 52-17b-87 52-17b-88 52-17b-88a 52-17b-88.1 Next
Last modified: October 11, 2016