Coroner’s Records, Designated Public Service Workers, and a Man with a Hatchet
Ohio Public Records Briefing -- Issue #14
For those of you who tuned in to our special Zoom training session on the new Ohio Supreme Court case (Myers vs. Meyers), we were glad to be with you! For those who couldn’t join us, you should know we had an online dance party. And we played pickleball with some monkeys. Too much FOMO? Sorry. Join us next time! We’re planning for another subscribers-only Zoom training in the fall. Subscribe today to be a part of the Ohio public records law community that we’re building!
Fun Fact
Like most public offices, records of the county coroner are public records open to inspection by the public.
After a high-profile murder or suspicious death (we’re not weeping over that death!), records of the coroner’s office can be some of the most sought after by the media and the public. Here’s some old coroner records from the 19th century. But there are some exceptions to coroner records that are important to know, given how closely law enforcement and the coroner work on some cases.
For example, coroner’s records that are not public records include:
· Preliminary autopsy report (along with investigative notes and findings)
· Suicide notes
· Medical records provided to the coroner
· Records of a deceased person that are part of a CLEIR record.
But wait, there’s more! These four things listed above might not be available to the public, but they are available to a few special classes of people. First, the deceased person’s family or next of kin can inspect or get copies of these records. Additionally, reporters and the media are allowed to request access to see these records, but they may not have copies or take notes about them. It’s an odd process, particularly since the definition of reporter has shifted since the law was passed. But the General Assembly was trying to piece together multiple concerns, to appease many different constituencies, and this was the result.
For a deeper dive on records at an Ohio county coroner office, check out page 21-22 of the Yellow Book (Guide to Ohio Public Records Law).