N.J. Admin. Code § 8:70-3.3

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 8:70-3.3 - Filing of Reports

(a) It shall be the responsibility of the county medical examiner and the State Medical Examiner to maintain on permanent file, full and complete records of every death investigation conducted by their respective offices, indexed by date of report of death, name of decedent, and sequential case number.

(b) The standard "Report of Investigation by Medical Examiner" shall be filed in the office within one working day on every death reported to the county medical examiner's office.

1. These reports shall be forwarded to the State Medical Examiner and the county prosecutor twice monthly on the first and 15th day of the month.

2. The medical examiner on duty shall personally sign the Report of Investigation by Medical Examiner and shall be responsible for the information therein contained.

(c) It shall be the responsibility of the physician who performs a medical examiner autopsy to write, dictate, or otherwise record a detailed description of the observations and findings resulting from the necroscopic dissection and examination within 24 hours of the completion of the dissection, and to make this available to a typist for transcription within two working days following the dissection. Each page of every autopsy shall include the decedent's name and identifying county medical examiner case number.

(d) The description and report of gross autopsy findings shall be completed, signed by the physician, and delivered to the county prosecutor and the State Medical Examiner within 30 days of completion of gross dissection.

(e) The county medical examiners shall be responsible to provide all administrative reports and data requested by the State Medical Examiner.

(f) It shall be the responsibility of the county medical examiners and the State Medical Examiner to maintain sufficient clerical and administrative personnel to prepare the required investigative, technical, and administrative reports in a timely manner; and to maintain the public records in an orderly acceptable fashion.

(g) All original signed documents to include the Report of Investigation by Medical Examiner, supplemental investigative reports, autopsy reports and amendments thereto, shall be maintained a minimum of five years as paper documents and on microfilm permanently thereafter. Any photographing, microphotographing and microfilming shall be in accord with N.J.S.A. 47:3-26.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:70-3.3

R.1983 d.589, effective 12/19/1983.
See: 15 N.J.R. 1351(a), 15 N.J.R. 2172(d).
Amended by R.1994 d.30, effective 1/18/1994.
See: 25 N.J.R. 5104(a), 26 N.J.R. 484(a).