Frequently Asked QuestionsDEATH INVESTIGATION Q: What do I do now? Q: Is it necessary for me to come to the Coroner’s Office? Q: Where will my loved one be taken? Q: What happens to the decedent’s personal effects and clothing? Q: What does it mean when a case is pending? Q: When will the body be released? Q: Who signs the death certificate? Q: When will the death certificate be completed? Q: How do I obtain a copy of the death certificate? Q: When is an autopsy necessary? Q: Will I still be able to have an open casket if an autopsy is performed? Q: How do I obtain a copy of the autopsy report? Q: What happens if no one claims the body? MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Q: What role does the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office play in the commitment of individuals with mental health or substance abuse issues? Q: What is an O.P.C.? Q: When and how can an O.P.C. be issues? What costs are associated with the issue of an O.P.C.? Q: Can an O.P.C. be issued against someone not found in Jefferson Parish? Q: Can a second O.P.C. be issued if the patient evades the police for the first O.P.C. 72-hour period? Q: Once transported to a treatment center on an O.P.C., what happens to the patient? Q: What is a P.E.C.? Q: What happens when a P.E.C. is issued or not issued? Q: What happens when a C.E.C. is issued or not issued? Q: What is a No-Knock O.P.C.? Q: What other mental health services are offered in Jefferson Parish? DEATH INVESTIGATION Q: What do I do now? A: Contact your funeral home of choice as soon as possible. When you speak with the funeral director, advise them that the deceased has been taken to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office. The funeral director will contact our office to arrange to have your loved one picked up. Q: Is it necessary for me to come to the Coroner’s Office? A: No. In most cases the identification has already been made. If identification is required, you will be contacted. In addition, viewing of the body is not allowed at the Coroner’s Office. The Coroner’s Office is not designed to handle bereaved relatives. Arrangements should be made with the funeral home for viewing. Q: Where will my loved one be taken? A: The body will be taken to the Jefferson Parish Forensic Center, located at 2018 8th Street, Harvey, LA. Q: What happens to the decedent’s personal effects and clothing? A: Personal property and clothing are sometimes collected as part of an investigation. Personal property is logged and secured in a safe. It will be made available for release to the legal next of kin during normal business hours. Clothing will be released with the body to the funeral home. Any item deemed as evidence will be turned over to the investigating law enforcement agency. Q: What does it mean when a case is pending? A: A case is classified pending when additional tests are required to determine the cause and manner of death. In some cases laboratory tests (like toxicology) have to be sent to outside agencies and these tests may take several weeks to complete. Q: When will the body be released? A: In most cases the body will be released immediately upon completion of the autopsy. Occasionally the body may be held longer in cases where additional investigation is required. Q: Who signs the death certificate? A: In most cases the decedent’s attending physician will signed the death certificate. In those cases where there is no attending physician or in those cases under Coroner’s Office jurisdiction, a Coroner’s Office physician will sign the death certificate. Q: When will the death certificate be completed? A: Death certificates will be completed as soon as the physician has enough medical and investigational evidence to complete it. In most cases, the death certificate may be completed as soon as we get it from the funeral home. In some cases however, additional information may be required which may take 4-8 weeks and very rarely, longer. Q: How do I obtain a copy of the death certificate? A: Death certificates are not issued by the Coroner’s Office. They must be requested from the funeral home attending the deceased. In some cases, they may be obtained from the Louisiana Office of Vital Records, (504) 593-5100. [add phone number, hyperlink “Louisiana Office of Vital Records” to http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/subhome/21] Q: When is an autopsy necessary? A: An autopsy may not be required when the death is known to be a result of natural causes, there is adequate medical history and there are no signs of foul play. If however, there is no known medical history or if there is suspicion of injury, foul play or if the circumstances of the death are unusual, an autopsy is required to determine the cause and manner of death. **NOTE** The decision to perform an autopsy rests solely with the Coroner’s Office. Family objections may be noted but an autopsy may be required to determine the cause and manner of death. Q: Will I still be able to have an open casket if an autopsy is performed? A: In most cases, an autopsy will not prevent an open casket. However, your funeral director is best able to answer this question once he/she has received the body. Q: How do I obtain a copy of the autopsy report? A: Complete autopsy reports are only released to the legal next of kin (at no charge). They may be obtained by completing an autopsy request form and presenting a valid, picture identification. Please call (504) 365-9100 or print this form (hyperlink to autopsy request form pdf) to be mailed, emailed or faxed back to JPCO. These documents are also provided to certain government agencies and the physician treating the deceased, upon request. **NOTE** If a case is a homicide or is under criminal investigation, the report may not be issued. Q: What happens if no one claims the body? A: All unclaimed or abandoned bodies will be considered paupers and will be cremated and disposed of as permitted by law. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Q: What role does the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office play in the commitment of individuals with mental health or substance abuse issues? A: Under Louisiana law, the Coroner or a District Judge may issue an order for protective custody whenever a credible person signs a request for protective custody stating from personal observation that an individual has a mental illness or substance abuse problem and is acting in a manner which makes that person a danger to him/herself, a danger to others or gravely disabled, all as defined by Louisiana law. Q: What is an O.P.C.? A: An O.P.C. is an order for protective custody issued by a Coroner or District Judge after any credible person (16 years old and above) signs a request for protective custody. It is a multi tier document that orders the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office to take a person into police custody and transport that individual to a treatment center for a mental status exam. Q: When and how can an O.P.C. be issues? What costs are associated with the issue of an O.P.C.? A: An O.P.C. can be applied for on a 24/7 basis every day of the year. An individual must begin the process by calling the 24/7 phone number of the Coroner at (504) 365-9100. No costs are associated with the issuance of a Coroner O.P.C. Copies of the O.P.C. are $25 per O.P.C. Q: Can an O.P.C. be issued against someone not found in Jefferson Parish? A: No. The O.P.C. is issued for a 72-hour period and can only be issued in Jefferson Parish. Q: Can a second O.P.C. be issued if the patient evades the police for the first O.P.C. 72-hour period? A: No. Not unless a separate set of facts is done which makes the individual a danger to self or others, or gravely disabled. Q: Once transported to a treatment center on an O.P.C., what happens to the patient? A: Within 12 hours, the patient is given a mental status exam to determine of he/she meets the criteria for a physician emergency certificate (P.E.C.) Q: What is a P.E.C.? A: A P.E.C. (sometimes called the first exam) is a physician emergency certificate issued by any physician, psychologist or mental health nurse practitioner after a medical exam when the patient is found to be suffering from a mental illness or substance abuse disorder and is a danger to self, a danger to others or gravely disabled. Q: What happens when a P.E.C. is issued or not issued? A: If the P.E.C. is not issued after an exam because the patient no longer meets the legal criteria above, the patient is discharged. If the P.E.C. is issued, then the patient is involuntarily detained at the treatment center for 72 hours until a second exam is done by the Coroner, usually called a Coroner Emergency Certificate (C.E.C.) Q: What happens when a C.E.C. is issued or not issued? A: If the C.E.C is not issued after an exam because the patient no longer meets the legal criteria above, the patient is discharged. If the C.E.C. is issued, then the patient is involuntarily detained at the treatment center for up to 15 days or until the patient is no longer showing any symptoms. Q: What is a No-Knock O.P.C.? A: A No-Knock O.P.C. under Louisiana law applies to any individual who is subject to an outstanding, valid O.P.C. Through cooperation of the Coroner, Sheriff’s and District Court Judge, when criteria is met, the trial judge can issue a telephonic order to the Coroner which is relayed to the Sheriff authorizing the Sheriff to enter any area and detain any barricaded individual for immediate transport to a treatment center for a mental status exam. Q: What other mental health services are offered in Jefferson Parish? A: If a patient is in acute crisis, the Jefferson Parish Human Service Authority through its mobile crisis hotline may be called on a 24/7 basis at (504) 832-5123 to respond to the patient on a consumer on a face-to-face basis. Other private doctors and hospitals also offer crisis services. |
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