Post mortem examinations. Oath of witnesses. Testimony in writing. ner's jury. himself or by a majority of the jury in order to ascertain the cause of death, to order a post mortem examination, whether surgical only, or chemical also, to be made on the body of the subject of the inquisition, by competent medical practitioners; and the expense of such post mortem examination shall be paid by the parish or municipal authorities within whose jurisdiction the inquests shall be held. 13. [SEC. 661.] The Coroner shall administer the following oath to all witnesses: "You solemnly swear that the evidence you are required to give on this inquest shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth; so help you God." 14. [SEC. 662.] The testimony of all witnesses examined on any inquest shall be reduced to writing and subscribed by the witnesses. 15. [SEC. 663.] The jury, upon the inspection of the body, and Verdict of Coro after hearing the testimony of witnesses and making all needful inquiries, shall sign and deliver to the Coroner their inquisition, under their hands, in which they shall certify when and by what means deceased came to his death, and his name, if it is known, together with all material circumstances attending his death, and if it shall appear that the deceased was feloniously killed, the jurors shall further state who were charged with being guilty, either as principals or accessories, if known, or with being in any manner the cause of his death, which inquisition may be in substance as follows: An inquisition taken at day of in the before the Coroner of the parish (or portion of the witnesses. on the year 16. [SEC. 664.] If the jury find that any murder or manslaughRecognizance of ter has been committed on the deceased, the Coroner shall bind over, by recognizance, such witnesses as he shall think proper to appear and testify at the next court to be held in the parish at which an indictment for such an offense can be found; he shall also return to the court the inquisition, written evidence, and all recognizances and examinations by him taken, and may commit to the jail of the parish any witnesses who shall refuse to recognize in such manner as he shall direct. accused persons 17. [SEC. 665.] If any person charged by the inquest with having committed such offense shall not be in custody, the Coroner Power to arrest shall arrest and conduct him before some committing magistrate in the parish in which the inquest is held, to be examined and proceeded with according to law. Expenses, how 18. [SEC. 666.] The expenses of the inquest, with the Coroner's fees, shall be paid by the parish, incorporated city or town within paid. which the inquest shall be held, when the Coroner shall make out an account of the expenses of the inquest, and certify under oath that the charges are no more than allowed by law; and in case the charges in the certified account exceed those allowed by law, he shall be liable to the penalties of perjury. 19. [SEC. 667.] Any Coroner shall, in case of sickness or neces sary absence, have power to appoint a Deputy to perform his duties. Deputy Coron er Said Deputy shall possess the qualifications required for the office of Coroner specified in section six hundred and fifty of this act; and the Coroner appointing him shall be responsible for his acts, and shall pay him out of the fees to which the said Coroner may be entitled. 20. [SEC. 668.] A Coroner shall receive for every inquest held, twenty-five dollars; for every viewing of a body in which no inquest Fees. is held, five dollars; for every burial performed at his expense, twelve dollars; and for all other fees, including the swearing and qualifying of a jury, the administering of oaths, the returning of the proces verbal, and the summoning of witnesses, five dollars. allowed. 21. [SEC. 669.] No other fees than those specified in the foregoing section of this act shall be allowed to any Coroner, any law No other fees or ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding; provided, that nothing in this act shall be construed as prohibiting the payment by parish or municipal authorities, of necessary or unavoidable expenses, being certified to as necessary or unavoidable by the Coroner and a majority of the jury. 22. [SEC. 670.] Every person who shall serve as a juror on any inquest shall be allowed the sum of two dollars for each day he shall so serve, and in other parishes of the State than that of Orleans, five cents for every mile he shall necessarily travel to attend such inquest and to return home; provided, that mileage shall in no case be allowed more than once going to and once returning from the said inquest; and provided further, that no mileage shall be allowed in the parish of Orleans. Pay of jurors. Certificate of service receiva 23. [SEC. 671.] It shall be the duty of the Coroner, immediately after the jury shall have been discharged, to deliver to each juror a certificate specifying the number of days he has attended, the taxes. ble for parish Annual to the General Assembly. Duty of distance for which he shall be entitled to receive mileage, and the amount due, which shall be ascertained by the oath of the juror, to be administered by the Coroner, and such certificate shall be receivable in payment of parish taxes, or paid out of any money in the parish treasury not otherwise appropriated. 24. [SEC. 672.] It shall be the duty of every Coroner, throughreport out the State, to transmit to the General Assembly of the State, through the Governor of the State, within ten days after the opening of every regular session of the said General Assembly, a report of the inquests held by him, of bodies viewed by him without inquest being held, and of bodies buried by him, specifying the name, if known, of the deceased, the verdict of the jury in each case in which an inquest shall have been held, the cause of death in which he shall have viewed bodies, but shall have adjudged an inquest unnecessary, and the total amount of fees received by him during the period covered by his report. person 25. [SEC. 673.] Any person who shall have knowledge of a drowned person, or shall find a corpse adrift, shall be authorized to finding a corpse take it ashore and shall be required to cause notice to be given to the nearest Coroner having jurisdiction; provided, that in case a Coroner can not be notified in time to hold an inquest thereon forthwith, a Justice of the Peace of the neighborhood, or two witnesses, shall be immediately called to view the body, ascertain its condition, and draw up a proces verbal thereof, to be forthwith transmitted to the Coroner. 1865-50. Authorized to 26. [SEC. 674.] The Justice of the Peace in and for that portion of the parish of Orleans lying on the right bank of the Mississippi act as Coroner. river is authorized to act as Coroner whenever a dead body shall be found lying within the limits of that portion of the parish. 1869-20. Deaths in Or leans to be re ported at the corder of Births and Deaths. By whom. 27. [SEC. 675.] The death of every person within the parish of Orleans shall be reported at said office within twenty-four hours thereafter. This declaration shall be made by the nearest relative office of the Re- of the deceased, if he or she is present, and in case of absence, by the testamentary executor, if there be one; if none, by the owner or tenant of the house in which the person died, and if the death happened in a State, parish, municipal, charitable or benevolent institution, hospital, asylum, prison, workhouse, house of refuge, insane asylum, etc., it shall be the duty of the president, superintendent or managers of said institutions to have the said deaths recorded in the said office of Recorder of Births and Deaths Coroners to re- monthly. It shall also be the duty of the Coroners to record monthly in said office the deaths of all persons upon whose bodies cord certain deaths. how charged. an inquest has been held, or a certificate issued by them for the burial of indigent persons, and the recording fees in such cases shall be charged to the city of New Orleans, or the Police Jury of the Recording fees, parish of Orleans, right bank, as the case may be, and any person contravening the provisions of this section shall be fined not less. than ten nor more than twenty-five dollars, recoverable before any court of competent jurisdiction. Penalty. 1855-191. Legal process, how served when Sheriffs are interested. 28. [SEC. 676.] Whenever the Sheriff and Coroner of any parish shall be interested in any suit or other legal process, or when there shall be no Sheriff and Coroner in office in any parish, or the Sheriff or Coroner shall be disqualified by law, from interest and Coroners or otherwise, from serving any legal process, it shall be served by any regular Constable of the parish, or by an officer appointed by the court; and such Constable or officer shall have in such suit all the powers, receive all the emoluments, and be liable to all the responsibilities of the Sheriff. THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON. session. 29. [SEC. 1.] The Coroner of the parish of Jefferson be and 1870-68, extra he is hereby authorized to appoint one or more persons to act as his Deputies. Additional powers and privileges... 5 Charter forfeited for insolvency..... 12 12 |