Deep-six coroner secrecy bill

[slaveplanet]

Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Autopsy photos are public property in Ohio. The same goes for a county coro ner's notes, detailed descriptions of autopsies and most any other information the coroner records.

State law has allowed coroners to exempt photos and other records of the deceased only in the case of a continuing criminal investigation or to shield certain medical or psychiatric records.

It's a sound public records law that has allowed the press or other investigators to probe unlawful or suspicious deaths at the hands of law-enforcement officials or others. It has also allowed the public to monitor its coroners.


Now a bill is making its way through the Ohio House of Representatives that would kill off significant public access to the coroners' records. Not only is it an insult to the right of the public to monitor the work of an important elected official, but it also sets an indefensible precedent for secrecy in the workings of a countywide office.
The autopsy bill should be defeated. If the measure clears the legislature, Gov. Bob Taft should lay it to rest with a veto.

http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1118136865257600.xml&coll=2

[ClintonTyree]

1. Secrecy is the key for them.....

it's the key to the entire neo-con agenda. It's starting to resemble old Soviet style government, where nothing was the people's business, just State business. Welcome to bushamerika!

[Lady President]

2. 5 years ago...

Just 5 years ago I probably would have supported this bill. I would have felt that deceased and their family deserved privacy in death. I've read more autopsies and death certificates than anyone I know because I used to defended product liability and insurance claims. There are no secrets in an autopsy-- details about weight, hair pieces, and genital descriptions. It still upsets me that there are websites where voyeurs can read autopsies. Most people are nosy, rather than monitoring their elected officials.

Now, I'm not sure. I'm so afraid that our government will hide evidence of a wrongfully death that I think we need to sacrifice the deceased dignity. Anyway you look at it, it's very sad.