102850-102870

HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 102850-102870




102850.  A physician and surgeon, physician assistant, funeral
director, or other person shall immediately notify the coroner when
he or she has knowledge of a death that occurred or has charge of a
body in which death occurred under any of the following
circumstances:
   (a) Without medical attendance.
   (b) During the continued absence of the attending physician and
surgeon.
   (c) Where the attending physician and surgeon or the physician
assistant is unable to state the cause of death.
   (d) Where suicide is suspected.
   (e) Following an injury or an accident.
   (f) Under circumstances as to afford a reasonable ground to
suspect that the death was caused by the criminal act of another.
   Any person who does not notify the coroner as required by this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor.



102855.  The coroner whose duty it is to investigate such deaths
shall ascertain as many as possible of the facts required by this
chapter.


102860.  The coroner shall state on the certificate of death the
disease or condition directly leading to death, antecedent causes,
other significant conditions contributing to death and other medical
and health section data as may be required on the certificate, and
the hour and day on which death occurred. The coroner shall
specifically indicate the existence of any cancer, as defined in
subdivision (e) of Section 103885, of which he or she has actual
knowledge.
   The coroner shall within three days after examining the body
deliver the death certificate to the attending funeral director.



102865.  In any case involving an infant under the age of one year
where the gross autopsy results in a presumed diagnosis of sudden
infant death syndrome, the coroner shall, within 24 hours of the
gross autopsy, notify the local health officer, as defined in Section
123740.



102870.  (a) In deaths investigated by the coroner or medical
examiner where he or she is unable to establish the identity of the
body or human remains by visual means, fingerprints, or other
identifying data, the coroner or medical examiner may have a
qualified dentist, as determined by the coroner or medical examiner,
carry out a dental examination of the body or human remains. If the
coroner or medical examiner with the aid of the dental examination
and other identifying findings is still unable to establish the
identity of the body or human remains, he or she shall prepare and
forward the dental examination records to the Department of Justice
on forms supplied by the Department of Justice for that purpose.
   (b) The Department of Justice shall act as a repository or
computer center, or both, with respect to dental examination records
and the final report of investigation specified in Section 27521 of
the Government Code. The Department of Justice shall compare the
dental examination records and the final report of investigation, if
applicable, to records filed with the Violent Crime Information
Center (Title 12 (commencing with Section 14200) of Part 4 of the
Penal Code), shall determine which scoring probabilities are the
highest for purposes of identification, and shall submit the
information to the coroner or medical examiner who submitted the
dental examination records and the final report of investigation, if
applicable.