Introduction

The Medical Examiner program entered a new phase in September 2003 when a full time Medical Examiner was hired. The Chief Medical Examiner is a licensed physician and a board certified forensic pathologist specialized in injury pattern analysis and death investigations. The Medical Examiner is authorized, in the interests of justice, public health, and public safety, to investigate sudden, suspicious and violent deaths within his/her jurisdiction, and to evaluate and document injuries in live victims of abuse.

Jurisdiction in Death Investigations

The Office of the Medical Examiner has jurisdiction and authority to investigate the death of any person dying within the County of Dutchess, or whose body is found within the County, under the following circumstances:

• Any violent death, whether by criminal violence, suicide or casualty.
• Any death caused by an unlawful act or an act of criminal neglect.
• Any death occurring in a suspicious, unusual or unexplained manner.
• Any death unattended by a physician, so far as can be discovered, or when a physician able to certify the death cannot be found.
• Any death of a person confined in a public institution other than a hospital, infirmary or nursing home.

Autopsy Policy

The Office of the Medical Examiner will perform an official autopsy in any death resulting from homicidal violence, criminal negligence, suicide, fire, asphyxia, vehicular and other accidents, drug or chemical overdose, when a death is unexplained, when a death occurs in police custody or legal detention, and whenever an autopsy is deemed necessary in the interests of public health and safety. The need for an autopsy in the evaluation of a sudden, unexpected death apparently due to natural disease is decided on an individual basis.

An objection to autopsy based on religious beliefs will be honored except in cases of homicide, or when public health is at stake. Objections to autopsy for personal reasons will be considered on an individual basis.

To Obtain a Copy of an Autopsy Report

The spouse, next of kin or legal representative of the deceased must send a notarized letter requesting a copy of the final autopsy report to the following address:

To Obtain a Copy of a Death Certificate

Once a person has been pronounced dead, funeral directors are required by law to file a death certificate within 72 hours with the Registrar in the municipality in which the death occurred. To obtain original copies of the death certificate, please contact your funeral director. If six months or more have elapsed since the individual’s death, please contact the Registrar in the municipality in which the death occurred.

In some medical examiner cases, the cause and manner of death on the original death certificate are “pending further studies” or “pending investigation”. When the Medical Examiner’s investigation is concluded, an amended death certificate is issued. To obtain an original copy of the amended death certificate, please contact the Registrar in the municipality in which the death occurred.

For Administrative Questions, please call the Medical Examiner's Office at (845) 486-3414 during regular business hours.