Title 20

NRS 259.040 Deputies. 1. All coroners may appoint deputies, who are authorized to transact such official business pertaining to the office as their principals direct. Coroners are responsible for the compensation of the deputies and are responsible on their official bonds for all…

NRS 259.045 Coroner to notify next of kin of decedent of fact of death; authority to notify and provide coroner’s report to decedent’s parents, guardians, adult children or custodians. 1. The coroner shall make a reasonable effort to notify a decedent’s next of kin who is authori…

NRS 259.047 Test of decedent for communicable diseases; report of results. 1. The coroner may cause a decedent under the jurisdiction of the coroner to be tested for communicable diseases without obtaining a court order if: (a) A law enforcement officer, emergency medical attenda…

NRS 259.049 Program to promote mental health of certain persons; program to provide bereavement services to public. A coroner may establish: 1. A program to promote the mental health of: (a) The employees of the office of the coroner; and (b) Any person impacted as a result of pr…

NRS 259.050 Investigation into cause of death; postmortem examination; inquest. 1. When a coroner or the coroner’s deputy is informed that a person has been killed, has committed suicide or has suddenly died under such circumstances as to afford reasonable ground to suspect that …

NRS 259.053 Postmortem examination by forensic pathologist: Determination of cause of death; death certificate. If a forensic pathologist performs a postmortem examination on a body under the jurisdiction of the coroner: 1. The forensic pathologist shall determine the cause of de…

NRS 259.060 Penalty for failure to attend as juror. Every person summoned as a juror who fails to appear without having a reasonable excuse, shall forfeit a sum, not exceeding $100, to be recovered by the district attorney, in any court of competent jurisdiction, and paid by the …

NRS 259.070 Oath of juror. When the jurors attend, they must be sworn by the justice of the peace to inquire who the person was, and when, where and by what means the person came to his or her death, and into the circumstances attending his or her death, and to render a true verd…

NRS 259.080 Fees of jurors; expenses of transportation of jury. 1. Jurors of coroners’ juries (with not more than three persons upon the jury) are entitled to receive for each day’s service $15, to be certified to the county clerk by the justice of the peace, and audited, allowed…

NRS 259.090 Inquest: Summoning and examination of witnesses; examination of decedent; adjournment. 1. The justice of the peace may issue subpoenas for witnesses, returnable as the justice of the peace may direct, and served by such person as he or she may direct. 2. He or she mus…

NRS 259.100 Witness failing to attend punishable for contempt. Any witness failing to obey the subpoena of the justice of the peace may be attached and fined for contempt in like manner as in a justice court. [7:107:1909; RL § 7548; NCL § 11431]—(NRS A 1979, 1370)

NRS 259.110 Rendition of verdict: Certification; contents. After inspecting the body and hearing the testimony, the jury shall render their verdict and certify the same by an inquisition in writing, signed by them, and setting forth the name of the deceased, when, where and by wh…

NRS 259.120 Testimony to be reduced to writing and filed with clerk of district court. The testimony at such an inquest must be reduced to writing in such manner as the justice of the peace may direct, and filed by him or her, without delay, in the office of the clerk of the dist…

NRS 259.130 Warrant to issue for accused. If the jury finds that the dead person was killed by another person under circumstances not excusable or justifiable in law, and that the person who committed the act is not in custody, the justice of the peace shall issue a warrant signe…

NRS 259.140 Service and return of warrant. The warrant of the justice of the peace may be served in any county of the State, and the officer serving such a warrant may return it before a magistrate of the county in which it is issued. The officer receiving such a warrant has the …

NRS 259.145 Fee of justice of the peace for holding inquest. 1. A justice of the peace is entitled, for each day necessarily employed in holding an inquest, to a fee of $23. 2. This fee must be paid out of the county treasury as other demands against the county are paid. [17:107:…

NRS 259.150 Inventory of money and property of decedent; delivery to county treasurer; signs prohibiting entrance to residence of decedent; penalty for disregard of prohibition. 1. The coroner shall inventory, in the presence of at least one other person, any money or property wh…

NRS 259.160 Duties of county treasurer pertaining to money and property of decedent. 1. Upon payment of money into the county treasurer’s office in such case, he or she shall place it to the credit of the county. Upon the delivery of property, he or she shall: (a) Deliver such pr…

NRS 259.170 Payment to representatives of decedent. If the money or the proceeds from the sale of property are demanded within 6 years, the county treasurer shall pay the same to the person legally authorized to receive it, but the same may be paid at any subsequent time to the r…

NRS 259.180 Burial of decedent; payment of expenses. After the inquest, if no one takes charge of the body, the coroner shall cause it to be decently buried. The expenses of the burial must be paid from the money deposited with the county treasurer or the estate of the deceased, …