ARTICLE 2. Inquests
Article 2 added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
§§ 27490–27512 · 35 sections
- § 27490 The coroner shall hold inquests pursuant to this article.
- § 27491 (a) It shall be the duty of the coroner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of all violent, sudden, or unusual deaths;…
- § 27491.1 In all cases in which a person has died under circumstances that afford a reasonable ground to suspect that the person’s death has been occasioned by the act…
- § 27491.2 (a) The coroner or the coroner’s appointed deputy, on being informed of a death and finding it to fall into the classification of deaths requiring his or her…
- § 27491.25 (a) The coroner or medical examiner, or their appointed deputy, on being notified of a death occurring while the deceased was driving or riding in a motor…
- § 27491.3 (a) In any death into which the coroner is to inquire, the coroner may take charge of any and all personal effects, valuables, and property of the deceased at…
- § 27491.4 (a) For purposes of inquiry the coroner shall, within 24 hours or as soon as feasible thereafter, where the suspected cause of death is sudden infant death…
- § 27491.41 (a) For purposes of this section, “sudden infant death syndrome” means the sudden death of any infant that is unexpected by the history of the infant and where…
- § 27491.42 (a) For purposes of this section, “sudden unexplained death in childhood” means the sudden death of a child one year of age or older but under 18 years of age…
- § 27491.43 (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, except as otherwise provided in this section, in any case in which the coroner, before the beginning of an autopsy,…
- § 27491.44 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the coroner is authorized to do all of the following: (a) Assist the people of this state, as appropriate, in the…
- § 27491.45 (a) (1) The coroner shall have the right to retain parts of the body, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 7150.1 of the Health and Safety Code, removed at…
- § 27491.46 (a) The coroner shall have the right to retain pituitary glands solely for transmission to a university, for use in research or the advancement of medical…
- § 27491.47 (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the coroner may, in the course of an autopsy, authorize the removal and release of corneal eye tissue from a body within the…
- § 27491.5 The cause of death appearing on a certificate of death signed by the coroner shall be in conformity with facts ascertained from inquiry, autopsy and other…
- § 27491.55 In any case where a coroner is required to inquire into a death pursuant to Section 27491, the coroner may delegate his or her jurisdiction over the death to…
- § 27491.56 (a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the Forensic Accountability, Custodial Transparency, and Safety (FACTS) Act of 2025. (b) In any county… see note
- § 27491.6 The coroner may also, in his discretion, if the circumstances warrant, hold an inquest, and he shall hold an inquest if requested to do so by the Attorney…
- § 27491.7 The coroner, his authorized deputy, or a hearing officer shall conduct the inquest.
- § 27491.8 (a) When the coroner seeks a confidential communication of a deceased person that is privileged under Article 6 (commencing with Section 990) or Article 7…
- § 27492 The coroner shall summon, or cause to be summoned by any sheriff or policeman, not less than nine nor more than 15 persons, qualified by law to serve as…
- § 27493 No person summoned is exempt from jury duty except at the discretion of the coroner. No person shall be summoned as juror who is related to the decedent or is…
- § 27497 After the jury has been sworn and charged by the coroner it may, if deemed necessary and so ordered by him, go with him to view and examine the body of the…
- § 27498 (a) The coroner may issue subpoenas for witnesses, returnable forthwith or at such time and place as the coroner appoints, which may be served by any competent…
- § 27499 The coroner shall summon and examine as witnesses every person who in his opinion or that of any of the jury has any knowledge of the facts. He may summon a…
- § 27499.1 Where the names and addresses of possible witnesses have been furnished to the coroner by the next of kin of the deceased, an attorney for the next of kin, or…
- § 27500 Any witness served with a subpena who wilfully and without reasonable excuse fails to attend and testify is guilty of a misdemeanor.
- § 27501 The coroner may adjourn the inquest from time to time as may be necessary.
- § 27502 The coroner shall cause the testimony given by any witness to be reduced to writing or recorded either in shorthand or by a mechanical recording device. It…
- § 27502.2 The inquest verdict or decision shall be inadmissible as evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding.
- § 27503 The transcript of the testimony of the witnesses examined in the coroner’s inquest shall be completed and filed within 10 days following the inquest with…
- § 27504 After hearing the testimony, the jury shall render its verdict and certify it by an inquisition in writing signed by the members of the jury, or the coroner…
- § 27504.1 If the findings are that the deceased met his or her death at the hands of another, the coroner shall, in addition to filing the report in his or her office or…
- § 27511 There shall be but one inquest upon a body, unless that taken is set aside by the court, and there shall be but one inquest held upon several bodies of persons…
- § 27512 If it appears that an error in the identity of the body has been made by the jury, the coroner may call another inquest without reference to the court, and a…