Coroner

An officer whose principal duty it is to hold an inquisition, with the assistance of a jury, over the body of any person who may have come to a violent death, or who has died in prison. It is his duty also, in case of the death of the sheriff, or his incapacity, or when a vacancy occurs in that office, to serve all the writs and processes which the sheriff is usually bound to serve. 20 Ga. 336; 11 Tex. 284; 14 Ala. (N. S.) 326; 10 Humph. (Tenn.) 346; 1 Sharswood, Bl. Comm. 349. The chief justice of the king's bench is the sovereign or chief coroner of all England, though it is not to be understood that he performs the active duties of that office in any one county. 4 Coke, 57b; Bac. Abr.; 3 Comyn, Dig. 242; 5 Comyn, Dig. 212. It is also his duty to inquire concerning shipwreck, and to find who has possession of the goods; concerning treasure trove, who are the finders, and where the property is. 1 Sharswood, Bl. Comm. 349. The office has lost much of the honor which formerly appertained to it, but the duties are of great consequence to society, both for bringing murderers to punishment, and protecting innocent persons from accusation. It may often happen that the imperfections of the early examination enable one who is undoubtedly a criminal to escape. It is proper, in most cases of homicide, to procure the examination to be made by a physician, and in many cases it is his duty. 4 Car. & P. 571.

An Officer whose principal duty it is to bold an Inquisition, with the assistance of a jury, over the body of any person who may have come to a violent death, or who has died in prison. It is his duty, in case of the death of the sheriff or his incapacity, or when a vacancy occurs in that office, to serve all the writs and processes which the sheriff is usually 346; Manning v. Keenan, 73 N. Y. 45; 1 Bla. Com. 349. See Sheriff. Coroners were county officers placed beside the sheriff to look after the administration of criminal justice and the revenue to the king resulting therefrom; Brunner, 2 Sel. Essays in Anglo-Amer. L. H. 31. See Gross, History of Coroners. It is supposed that the first institution of coroners dates from 1194. The office may have existed before then. 2 Holdsw. Hist. E. L. 45; Pollock, King's Peace, 2 Sel. Essays in Anglo- Amer. L. H. 410. It was also the coroner's duty to inquire concerniug shipwreck, and to find who had possession of the goods; concerning treasure-trove, who were the finders, and where the property was; 1 Bla. Com. 349. The stat. 4 Edw. I. ch. 2 (1276), entitled "De Officio Coronatoris," empowered the coroner to inquire who was slain and who were there, who and in what manner they were culpable of the act or force. Whoever was found culpable was turned over to the sheriff, and whoever was not culpable was attached until the coming of the justices. The Chief Justice of the King's Bench was the chief coroner of all England; though he did not perform the active duties of that office in any one county; 4 Co. 57 6; Bac. Abr. Coroner; 3 Com. Dig. 242; 5 id. 212. Coroners were abolished in Massachusetts in 1877, and "men learned in the science of medicine" are appointed to make autopsies and in case of a violent death to report it to a justice of the district. In England a coroner (one in every county and in certain boroughs) holds a court of record; his jury of inquest consists of not less than 12 n Or more than 23 persons. Upon a verdict of the jury, the coroner can commit the accused for trial and he may be arraigned without any presentment by a grand jury. Odgers, C. L. 1031. A corouer is a "judicial officer" within a bribery act; People v. Jackson, 191 N. Y. 293, 84 N. E. 65, 15 L. R. A. (N. S.) 1173, 14 Ann. Cas. 243. It is proper for a coroner in most cases of homicide to cause an examination to be made by a physician, and in many cases it is his duty so to do; 4 C. & P. 571. See Jameson v. Board of Com'rs of Bartholomew County, 64 Ind. 524; Sanford v. Lee County, 49 la. 148; Cook v. Multnomah County, 8 Or. 170. In Coroner's Duties, 20 D. R. (Pa.) 685, Sulzberger, P. J., instructed the coroner as to his duties in Pennsylvania, where the practice has been much modified, to the effect that the district attorney should always be present at the coroner's inquest and that he has power to cross-examine witnesses; also that if the district attorney is of opinion that there is no evidence to hold the CORPORAL (Lat. corpus, body). Bodily; relating to the body: as, corporal punishment. A non-commissioned officer of the lowest grade in an infantry, cavalry, or artillery company.

The name of an ancient officer of the common law, whose office and functions are continued in modem English and American administration. The coroner is an officer belonging to each county, and is charged with duties both judicial and ministerial, but chiefly the former. It ls hls special province and duty to make inquiry into the causes and circumstances of any death happening within his territory which occurs through violence or suddenly and with marks of suspicion. This examination (called the "coroner's inquest") is held with a jury of proper persons upon view of the dead body. See Bract, fol. 121; 1 Bl. Comm. 346-348; S Steph. Comm. 33. In England, another branch of his judicial office ls to inquire concerning shipwrecks, and certify whether wreck or not, and who is in possession of the goods; and also to inquire concerning treasure trove, who were the finders, and where it ls, and whether any one be suspected of having found and cencealed a treasure. 1 Bl. Comm. 349. It belongs to the ministerial office of the ceroner to serve writs and other process, and generally to discharge the duties of the sheriff, in case of the incapacity of that officer or a vacancy in his office. On the office and functions of coroners, see, further, Pueblo County v. Marshall, 11 Colo. 84, 16 Pac. 837; Cox v. Royal Tribs, 42 Or. 365, 71 Pac. 73, 60 In R. A. 620, 95 Am. St Rep. 752; Powell v. Wilson, 16 Tex. 59; Lancaster County v. Holyoke, 37 Neb. 328, 55 N. W. 950, 21 In R. A. 394.

— Coroner's court. In England. A tribunal of reconi, where a coroner holds his inquiries. Cox v. Royal Tribe, 42 Or. 365, 71 Pac. 73, 60 L. R. A. 620, 95 Am. St. Rep. 752.

— Coroner's inquest. An inquisition or examination into the causes and circumstances of any death happening by violence or under suspicious conditions within his territory, held by the coroner with the assistance of a jury. Boia-liniere v. County Co.m'rs, 32 Mo. 378.

A county magistrate of great antiquity at the common law, whose peculiar office is to inquire into the causes of violent or sudden deaths, by a jury of proper persons, upon view of the dead body. Another branch of his office is to inquire concerning shipwrecks, and certify whether wreck or not, and who is in possession of the goods; and also to inquire concerning treasure trove, who were the finders and where it is, and whether any one is suspected of having found and concealed a treasure. These duties are judicial. The coroner is also charged with certain ministerial duties. He thus acts as the sheriff's substitute in the service of process. He is also by virtue of his office a conservator of the peace.

' 1. An officer who has prin-' cipally to do with pleas of the crown, or such wherein the king is more immediately concei-ned.i 2. A county officer who inquires into the causes of sudden or violent deaths, while the facts are recent and the circumstances unchanged.5 The lord chief justice is the chief coroner of all England; and there are usually four coroners for each county. The office is of equal antiquity- with that of sheriff; was ordained with his, to keep the peace, when the earls gave up the wardship of the county. Much honor formerly appertained to the office, which might be for life. According to Blackstone, the duties of the ofttee, which are principally judicial, are largely defined by 4 Edw. I (1276), and consist in inquiring (whence coroner's inquest) when any person is slain, or dies suddenly, or in prison, concerning the manner of his death. This must appear upon view of the body, at the place where death happened, by a Jury of fom^ to six persons. If any person be found guilty of homicide the coroner ia to commit him to prison for further trial, and to inquire as to his property, which is for- » Kennedy v. Oswego, &c. E. Co., 67 Barb. 167 (1867). See Buffalo v. Q'Malley, 61 Wis. 258 (1884). i s Kirkpatrick v. Bonsall, 72 Pa. 158 (1873), Agnew, J. 3 L. coronator; coi'<ma, a crown. ' 1 Bl. Com. 346. felted thereby; and he is also to certify the whole of the inquisition, with the evidence, to the court of king's bench or to the next assizes. Another branch of his office was to inquire generally concerning shipwi-ecks, and treasure-trove. His ministerial office is as the sheriff's substitute: when exception is taken to the sheriff, for suspicion of partiality, process is awarded to the coroner for execution.^ See Sheriff. The object of an inquest is to seek information and secure evidence in case of death by violence or other undue means. It is the coroner's duty to act only when there is reasonable ground to suspect that a death was so caused; the power is not to be exercised capriciously, and arbitrarily against all reason.'-* The welfare of society and the interests of public justice alike demand that an inquest should be thorough. Statutory provisions are, therefore, to be liberally construed, with a view,to the accomplishment of the end desired. They are to be so construed that the coroner may be thereby authorized to employ such medical, surgical, or other scientific skill as may be necessary, in his judgment, in the particular case, and to charge his county with payment of the reasonable expense thereof. ^ In Massachusetts, the office was abolished in 1877. The governor appoints as examiners " men learned in the science of medicine," who hold autopsies, and, in cases of death from violence, notify the district a^ torney and a justice of that fact.*

[L. Lat. coronator, from corona, the crown. See infra.l A county officer of great antiquity at the common law, whose powers and duties are both judicial and ministerial, but principally the former. It has always been his peculiar office to inquire into the causes of violent or sudden deaths, by a jury of proper persons, upon view of the dead body, {super visum corporis.) Bract, fol. 121. Stat. 4 £dw. 1. De officio coronatoris. 1 BL Com. 346, 348. 3 Steph. Com. 33—36. Another branch of his judicial office is to inquire concerning shipwrecks, and certify whether wreck or not, and who is in possession of the goods; and also to inquire concerning treasure trove, who were the finders and where it is, and whether any one be suspected of having found and concealed a treasure. Bract, fol. 121, 122. 1 Bl. Com. 349. The ministerial office of the coroner is only as the sheriff 's substitute in executing process. 3 Steph. Com. 37. This was a part of his duty as early as the time of Bracton. Bract, fol, 75. Coroners are also, by virtue of their office, conservators of the public peace. Britt. c. 1. 1 Bl. Com. 347. See Conservator of the peace. All these duties continue to be attached to the office of coroner in the United States. 2 N. Y. Rev. St. [742], 622, § 1, et seq. 1 Id. [690], 688, § 2. Id. [380—382, §§ 78—86;] 373, 874, §§ 89—97. See U. S. Digest, Coroner. The name coroner seems clearly derived from the important part which the officer bearing it originally took in the prosecution of those offences which concerned the crown, (L. Fr. corone; Lat. corona.) 2 Reeves^ Hist. Eng. Law, 12. The coroner {coronator) is first mentioned by name in Magna Chftrta, (c. 17); although allu Bion ib made to the office in the capitula of Henry II. and in those given in the reign of Richard I. to the justices in eyre, wherein they were commissioned to choose three knights and one clerk in every county to be custodies placitorum corona, Crabh's Hist. Ei\>g. Law, 150. According to the Mirror, (c. 1, § 3,^ the office was established by the Saxon kings, but it b most probable that it was created soon after the conquest; the coroner being appointed, together with the sheriff, to keep the peace, when the earls gave up the wardship of the county. Crah Vs Hist. 1 49, 1 50. 1 hi. Com. 347. The word itself seems to be essentially French, being constantly used by Britton in his first chapter, which is entitled " De Coroners:' The office of coroner has, in modem times, retained but a trace of its ancient dignity and importance. Coroners are declared in Britton to be, in every county, the principal keepers of the peaee, to bear record of pleas of the crown. Their duties (which are minutely described m the first chapter of this author, and in the second tract of the third book of Bracton, entitled '* De corona") embraced not only the modern duty of holdmg inquests over the bodies of persons slain or suddenly deceased, but the examination of the bodies of living persons who had been wounded or otherwise corporally injured, the taking of criminal appeals, abjurations of the realm, <&c. An important feature of their ancient office was the keeping of rolls or records of every thing done before them, which rolls were sometimes received as conclusive evidence. Bract, fol. 140 b, lib. 3, tr. 2, c. 20. See Counter Roll.

an officer whose principal duty it 1s to hold an inquisition, with the assistance of a jury, over the body of any person who may have come to a violent death, or who has died in prison. It is his duty also in case of the death of the sheriff, or when a vacancy happens in that office, to serve all the writs and process which the sheriff is usually bound to serve. Vide 1 Bac. Ab. 478; 6 Vin. Ab. 242; 3Com. Dig. 222; 5 Com. Dig. 212; and the article Death.