The Medical Examiner is a physician trained in forensic pathology and is appointed by the Governor, to investigate violent, suspicious or unnatural deaths. The Medical Examiner has a duty to determine objectively the cause and manner of death in such cases and is assisted by medical examiner investigators and law enforcement personnel.

The Medical Examiner is independent of every law enforcement agency, hospital, or local government and provides forensic services under annual contracts with each county.

In the case of an unexpected or violent (non-natural) death, an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is legally required to determine the cause and manner of death and establish the identity of the deceased before a Medical Examiner can sign the death certificate. The Medical Examiner can often discover hidden evidence of injury to explain a sudden death or can document natural diseases to show that no foul play was involved in the death. Government and private agencies, as well as families, rely on the medical examiner findings to resolve questioned issues regarding deaths.

An autopsy is an intricate medical procedure, often requiring complex laboratory tests. It includes the removal and inspection of all major organ systems for the purpose of documenting injury, disease or the lack thereof.

A complete autopsy is most often performed in traumatic or violent deaths (gunshot, stab, electrocution, burn, poison, fall, drowning, starvation, suffocation, strangulation, etc.), any police custody death, suspected suicide or drug overdose, and in most cases of child death. An investigation or autopsy is necessary in all traumatic deaths, regardless of the duration of survival or hospitalization of the injured person, if no complete recovery was made after the injury.

An autopsy is not normally performed when the death appears to be from natural causes, an adequate medical history exists, and there are no indications of foul play. The Medical Examiner often receives such cases only because the attending physician is not in Florida and cannot sign a Florida death certificate or because the person has never been to a physician.

An autopsy is performed to determine the cause of death and the extent and nature of injuries or natural disease processes that caused death.

By state law, the Medical Examiner is not required to receive permission from the next-of-kin for an autopsy. Religious objections to autopsy are handled with counseling on a case-by-case basis when the rights of the deceased might be compromised by not performing the autopsy.

Only the legal next-of-kin may grant permission for organ or tissue donation. This permission is requested by the organ procurement agency before the Medical Examiner has accepted jurisdiction and determined that donation may proceed without compromising the duties of the Medical Examiner. In possible child abuse deaths and certain homicide cases, Medical Examiner objection may be invoked to protect evidence.

Every effort is made to complete an investigation rapidly and efficiently so that the family can proceed with final arrangements. Most cases are released the same day or the day after the body is received. Homicide cases and those requiring identification may be delayed until all questions have been answered.

Personal effects are normally removed at the place of death, turned over to family or the law enforcement agency, and not brought into the Medical Examiner's Office. If personal effects are transported with the body, they are inventoried and released with the body to the funeral home for return to the family, except in homicide cases where the effects may be evidence and are turned over to law enforcement.

The place where the deceased person is found or brought ashore determines the geographic jurisdiction.

Death must be investigated by the Medical Examiner whenever a person dies: 

• of criminal violence
• by accident
• by suicide
• suddenly, when in apparent good health,
• unattended by a practicing physician,
• in any prison or penal institution
• in police custody
• in any suspicious or unusual circumstance
• by criminal abortion
• by poison
• by disease constituting a threat to public health
• by disease, injury, or toxic agent resulting from employment.

Note that there is no "24-hour rule" in Florida. The mere fact that a person died within a brief time of admission to a hospital does NOT automatically make it a Medical Examiner case. Nor does Florida law mandate that these deaths be reported to the Medical Examiner.

The determination of cause and manner of death often involves more than just the physical procedures on the body. It also involves laboratory testing for drugs or microscopic examination of tissues. In some cases, additional tests are required after the first results are received. In certain cases, reports are finalized when test results are available to reach a reasonable medical certainty about the cause and manner of death.

All Medical Examiner autopsy reports are automatically sent to the State Attorney's Office {406.13.F.S.} and the investigating law enforcement agency upon completion. Medical Examiner case files are public record, 119.011(1)F.S. Any person may obtain a copy.

You may request an autopsy report by e-mail, fax or by calling the main office.

Contact

Email: Info@Dist2ME.org
Phone: 850-606-6600
Fax: 850-606-6601

Requests for records other than the autopsy report are charged at the authorized duplication cost of .15 per single sided page {119.07 (1)(a)F.S.}

If the public record request requires extensive computer or clerical resources, a special service charge will be imposed 119.07(1)(b), in addition to duplication costs. Exact postage cost will also be included.

Some case files may become exempt from public record release while under active criminal intelligence or active criminal investigation"{119.07 (3)(b)}. Once this designation has been lifted, the record(s) will be available.