Title 5 — Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences.

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, the term: (1) “District” means the District of Columbia. (2) “Legal custody” includes imprisonment, jail, or detention. (3) “Ward” means any person in the official custody of the District government, on a temporary or permanent basis, because…

(a) There is established as a subordinate agency in the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (“OCME”). (b) The Mayor shall nominate, with the advice and consent of the Council, a person to serve as the Chief Medi…

(a) The CME shall appoint such qualified professional, investigative, technical and clerical personnel as the OCME may require, including administrators, medicolegal investigators, and a General Counsel. The General Counsel shall be appointed pursuant to subchapter VIII-B of Chap…

(a) The CME shall be responsible for all the medical functions formerly performed by the coroner in the District of Columbia consistent with the provisions of this chapter. The CME and such other medical examiners as may be appointed may administer oaths and affirmations and take…

(a) The CME, other medical examiners, and medicolegal investigators (physician assistants or advanced practice registered nurses) licensed under subchapter V of Chapter 12 of Title 3, are authorized to make determinations of death. (b) Pursuant to regulations established by the M…

(a) For all deaths described in § 5-1405(b), the CME shall take charge of the body upon the mandatory and direct notification of the death required by subsection (b) of this section. The CME, or duly authorized representatives of the CME, shall have authority to respond to the sc…

The CME is authorized to issue a subpoena for confidential medical records and relevant information from physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities and other health care providers as in his or her opinion is necessary for investigating deaths under this cha…

(a) At the scene of any death subject to investigation under § 5-1405(b), the medical examiner, a medicolegal investigator, or a law enforcement officer shall take possession of any objects or articles which, in his or her opinion, may be useful in establishing the cause and mann…

(a) If, in the opinion of the CME, the cause and manner of death are established with a reasonable medical certainty, the CME shall complete a report of the medical examination of the decedent. (b) If, in the opinion of the CME, or the United States Attorney, further investigatio…

(a) If an autopsy is performed by a pathologist other than a medical examiner by request of the CME, the pathologist shall furnish to the CME, a complete record of the findings and conclusions of the autopsy. The CME, or assigned medical examiner, shall thereupon prepare a report…

(a) Following investigation or autopsy, the CME shall release the body of the decedent to the person having the right to the body for the purpose of burial or other disposition pursuant to law. If after a reasonable time, established by regulation by the Mayor, no authorized pers…

(a) The CME shall be responsible for maintaining full and complete records and files, properly indexed, giving the name, if known, of every person whose death is investigated, the place where the body was found, the date, cause and manner of death and all other relevant informati…

The records maintained pursuant to § 5-1412, or reproductions thereof certified by the CME, are admissible as evidence in any court in the District; except that, statements made by witnesses or other persons and conclusions upon nonmedical matters are not admissible.

In the case of unexplained, sudden, violent, or suspicious death, when the body is buried without investigation, or there has been an inadequate investigation, the United States Attorney, on his or her own motion, or on request of a medical examiner, or the Metropolitan Police De…

Repealed Repealed.

All positions, personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be available to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and all the functions assigned and authority delegated to the Office of the Chief Medical …

(a) The Mayor shall promulgate proposed regulations to implement the provisions of this chapter. The proposed regulations shall be submitted to the Council for a 45-day period of review, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, legal holidays, and days of Council recess. If the Council does…

Repealed.

(a) The CME shall be responsible for ensuring the accuracy of blood and urine testing for the District’s impaired driving program. The CME may test or authorize the testing of specimens, as defined by § 50-1901(18), for the purposes of determining if specimens contain alcohol or …