Title 45, Chapter 16, Section 23
( 45-16-23)
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any coroner
or county medical examiner may delegate to a local medical examiner,
forensic consultant, or medical examiner's investigator the power to
perform those duties of such coroner or medical examiner specified
in this Code section if the person to whom such power is thus
delegated meets the applicable requirements of this Code section for
the performance of such duties, but the performance of those
delegated duties shall not in any manner infringe upon or diminish
the authority of the peace officer in charge at the scene of the
crime. (b) A local medical examiner shall be a licensed physician appointed
by the state medical examiner to perform scene investigations,
external examinations, limited dissections, autopsies, or any
combination of such duties. (c) A forensic consultant shall be an expert in a field of forensic
science, including but not limited to odontology or anthropology,
appointed and authorized by the state medical examiner to examine
human remains and evidence under the medical examiner's
jurisdiction. (d) A medical examiner's investigator shall be a person employed by
a medical examiner to perform duties of such medical examiner with
the same authority as the medical examiner while at the scene of
death and during subsequent investigation, except that no medical
examiner's investigator is authorized to make any arrest or perform
official external examinations, limited dissections, or autopsies. |