VOTE411 Voter Guide

In an Indiana Primary you may choose either a Democratic Ballot OR a Republican Ballot. You may NOT vote in both Primaries.The Coroner is responsible for identification of the deceased, determination of the cause of death and determination of the manner of death. In the process of doing his/her job, the Coroner is considered an officer of the court with the power to investigate the death, subpoena information and order an autopsy. The Coroner is responsible for the personal property of the deceased.Death certificates are the responsibility of the Vital Records Division of the Tippecanoe County Health Department. The Coroner will sign the certificate for coroner cases and then turn the certificate over to the Tippecanoe County Health Department for completion. The certificate is to be filed within 72 hours, but the cause and manner of death can be deferred pending further investigation.Indiana has a coroner system, not a medical examiner system. As an elected official to a constitutional office, the legal requirements are that the individual be a resident of the county for a least one year. The Coroner serves the role of an administrator of the death investigation.The mandatory training course must include at least 40 hours of classroom instruction regarding death investigation, crime scenes and preservation of evidence. Sixteen hours of continuing education are required annually. Coroners have six months to complete the training. Deputy Coroners have twelve months to complete training. Indiana was a pilot state for Coroners and Deputy Coroners to be certified.The Coroner is responsible for identification of the deceased, determination of the cause of death and determination of the manner of death. In the process of doing his/her job, the Coroner is considered an officer of the court with the power to investigate the death, subpoena information and order an autopsy. The Coroner is responsible for the personal property of the deceased. The Coroner is obligated to release certain information regarding each Coroner s case, including the cause and manner of death. Demographic information is considered public, such as name, age, race and address of deceased. Limited information regarding an autopsy will be released, such as date, person who performed it, where performed and location to which body was removed. The Coroner can only release records produced in the process of the investigation. Records of other agencies, such as police records or medical records (including autopsy reports) gathered in the investigation are not released by the Coroner. Term: 4 years