Guernsey County Coroner Describes Carreer

“It is a privilege for me to elucidate the role of county coroner,” said Guernsey County coroner Dr. Janet Brockwell to the Cambridge Lions Club. “The position is one that is quasi-judicial, administrative, and investigative.” (Pictured at left, Dr. Brockwell and Lion Benjamin Cahoon).

“The coroner is responsible for classifying the cause of death according to circumstances outlined in the Ohio Revised Code,” Brockwell said. “The coroner issues a ruling on the cause of death when the person is unaccompanied, when the death is unexpected for an otherwise healthy person, or when the death is the result of violence from an accident, homicide, or suicide.”

“The public is required to notify the coroner of any death,” Brockwell said. “When I am out of town Dr. Steven Stansberry is my backup.”

“We are lucky enough to have an excellent relationship with the newspaper, the sheriff’s office, the Cambridge and Byesville police departments, and the ambulance services,” Brockwell said. “That’s not true in all of the counties in Ohio.”

“One of the misconceptions people have about coroners is that we pronounce people dead. That is usually determined by a trained observer at the scene. The coroner is only called after there has already been a death.”

“In the case of a traffic fatality, I will draw blood at the scene of the accident to get evidence for the highway patrol,” Brockwell said. The blood sample can help determine if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the accident.

“Sometimes determining the cause of death requires an autopsy,” said Brockwell. “If a child dies under the age of two we are required by law to perform an autopsy. Autopsies have to be performed by a certified forensic person. That’s why we send our autopsies to Licking County.”

If relatives disagree with a coroner’s ruling on the cause of death they can request a private autopsy. The coroner can help arrange such autopsies through the Ohio State University. For more information about the responsibilities of the coroner and what deaths must be reported, visit the web site for the Ohio State Coroners Association at www.osca.net.