Texas Code Of Criminal Procedure Title 1, Chapter 49 - Inquests Upon Dead Bodies
SUBCHAPTER A DUTIES PERFORMED BY JUSTICES OF THE PEACE
- Texas Article 49.01 - Definitions
In this article: (1) "Autopsy" means a post mortem examination of the body of a person, including X-rays and an examination of the internal organs...
- Texas Article 49.02 - Applicability
This subchapter applies to the inquest into a death occurring in a county that does not have a medical examiner's office or that is not...
- Texas Article 49.03 - Powers And Duties
The powers granted and duties imposed on a justice of the peace under this article are independent of the powers and duties of a law...
- Texas Article 49.04 - Deaths Requiring An Inquest
(a) A justice of the peace shall conduct an inquest into the death of a person who dies in the county served by the justice...
- Texas Article 49.041 - Reopening An Inquest
A justice of the peace may reopen an inquest if, based on information provided by a credible person or facts within the knowledge of the...
- Texas Article 49.05 - Time And Place Of Inquest; Removal Of Property And Body From Place Of Death
(a) A justice of the peace shall conduct an inquest immediately or as soon as practicable after the justice receives notification of the death. (b)...
- Texas Article 49.06 - Hindering An Inquest
(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly hinders the entrance of a justice of the peace to a premises where...
- Texas Article 49.07 - Notification Of Investigating Official
(a) A physician or other person who has possession of a body or body part of a person whose death requires an inquest under Article...
- Texas Article 49.08 - Information Leading To An Inquest
A justice of the peace conducting an inquest may act on information the justice receives from any credible person or on facts within his knowledge....
- Texas Article 49.09 - Body Disinterred Or Cremated
(a) If a body or body part subject to investigation under Article 49.04 of this code is interred and an authorized person has not conducted...
- Texas Article 49.10 - Autopsies And Tests
(a) At his discretion, a justice of the peace may obtain the opinion of a county health officer or a physician concerning the necessity of...
- Texas Article 49.11 - Chemical Analysis
(a) A justice of the peace may obtain a chemical analysis of a sample taken from a body in order to determine whether death was...
- Texas Article 49.12 - Liability Of Person Performing Autopsy Or Test
A person who performs an autopsy or makes a test on a body on the order of a justice of the peace in the good...
- Texas Article 49.14 - Inquest Hearing
(a) A justice of the peace conducting an inquest may hold an inquest hearing if the justice determines that the circumstances warrant the hearing. The...
- Texas Article 49.15 - Inquest Record
(a) A justice of the peace or other person authorized under this subchapter to conduct an inquest shall make an inquest record for each inquest...
- Texas Article 49.16 - Orders And Death Certificates
The justice of the peace or other person who conducts an inquest under this subchapter shall sign the death certificate and all orders made as...
- Texas Article 49.17 - Evidence
A justice of the peace shall preserve all tangible evidence that the justice accumulates in the course of an inquest that tends to show the...
- Texas Article 49.18 - Death In Custody
(a) If a person confined in a penal institution dies, the sheriff or other person in charge of the penal institution shall as soon as...
- Texas Article 49.19 - Warrant Of Arrest
(a) A justice of the peace who is conducting an inquest of a death under this subchapter may issue a warrant for the arrest of...
- Texas Article 49.20 - Requisites Of Warrant
A warrant of arrest issued under Article 49.19 of this code is sufficient if it: (1) is issued in the name of "The State of...
- Texas Article 49.21 - Commitment Of Homicide Suspect
At the conclusion of an inquest, if a justice of the peace finds that a person who has been arrested in the case caused or...
- Texas Article 49.22 - Sealing Premises Of Deceased
(a) If a body or body part that is subject to an inquest under Article 49.04 of this code is found on premises that were...
- Texas Article 49.23 - Office Of Death Investigator
(a) The commissioners court of a county may establish an office of death investigator and employ one or more death investigators to provide assistance to...
SUBCHAPTER B DUTIES PERFORMED BY MEDICAL EXAMINERS
- Texas Article 49.24 - Notification And Report Of Death Of Resident Of Institution
(a) A superintendent or general manager of an institution who is required by Article 49.04 to report to a justice of the peace the death...
SUBCHAPTER C INFORMED CONSENT FOR POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION OR AUTOPSY
- Texas Article 49.25 - Medical Examiners
Art. 49.25. MEDICAL EXAMINERS Sec. 1. OFFICE AUTHORIZED. Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Commissioners Court of any county having a population of...
- Texas Article 49.31 - Applicability
This subchapter does not apply to an autopsy that: (1) is ordered by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or an authorized official of the...
- Texas Article 49.32 - Consent To Postmortem Examination Or Autopsy
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this article, a physician may not perform, or assist in the performance of, a postmortem examination or...
- Texas Article 49.33 - Persons Authorized To Consent To Postmortem Examination Or Autopsy
(a) Subject to Subsections (b) and (c) of this article, consent for a postmortem examination or autopsy may be given by any member of the...
- Texas Article 49.34 - Postmortem Examination Or Autopsy Consent Form
The commissioner of state health services, in consultation with the Texas Medical Board, shall prescribe a standard written consent form for a postmortem examination or...
- Texas Article 49.35 - Right To Nonaffiliated Physician
(a) A person authorized to consent to a postmortem examination or autopsy under Article 49.33 of this code may request that a physician who is...
Last modified: September 28, 2016