In a California county where the sheriff is also the coroner, families seek change

[quaint]

2. I agree the positions should be separate, but for hospice patients and their families it makes things harder.

Last edited Thu Jun 6, 2024, 01:26 PM - Edit history (1)

When my mother-in-law passed at home in Orange County, it was easy. Her doctor told us that when it happened to tell sheriff-coroner he would sign the death certificate. We called the coroner, he took the information by phone, and told us to call the mortuary.

When my mother passed at home in Los Angeles county, we called 911, they sent paramedics who said (not "pronounced " ) she was dead, which we knew, they called the coroner and we waited three hours for someone to be free to come and pronounce her dead. It was very hard on my father.

That is the good reason for the combined offices but the bad reasons override it.