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Glossary of Terms

Autopsy: Also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy (particularly for non-human bodies), autopsia cadaverum, or obduction — is a highly specialized surgical procedure involving a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury present. It is usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a forensic pathologist.
Biological Specimens: Blood, sections of organs, vitreous, bile, and urine.
Cause of Death: An injury or disease that ultimately leads to the death of the individual, determined by medical examiners in Los Angeles County.
Certificate of Religious Belief: In California, to execute a certificate of religious belief, a person must be 18 years of age or older and must state clearly that any postmortem anatomical dissection or specified procedures would violate their religious convictions. The certificate must be signed and dated in the presence of at least two witnesses, each of whom must also sign and print their name and residence address. California law allows the state to override religious objection if the medical examiner has reasonable suspicion that the death was caused by the criminal act of another or by a contagious disease constituting a public health hazard.
Chain of Custody: A method of keeping track of who has handled a piece of evidence and when.
County Disposition: The County of Los Angeles will cremate the remains of a decedent and hold the cremains (ashes) for about three years before interring them in a common gravesite at the Los Angeles County Cemetery.
Decomposition: The disintegration of body tissues after death.
DME: Department of Medical Examiner.
Evidence: Any physical items such as bullets, hairs, fibers, biological fluids, documents, statements, etc., included in a legal investigation for consideration by a jury or judge when determining an individual’s guilt or innocence.
Forensic Pathologist: A medical doctor specializing in forensic pathology who determines the cause of death by examining a corpse. Autopsies performed by forensic pathologists are usually done during investigations of criminal or, in some jurisdictions, civil law cases.
Forensic Science: The application of all forms of science to aid legal investigations.
Indigency: The lack of ability to pay, used as a legal reason for having certain required fees waived or being eligible for free services.
Inquests: A judicial or official inquiry to establish the facts of an unexplained, sudden, or violent death. Inquests include evidence gathering, witness testimony, and a public hearing to determine who, when, where, and how the death occurred, leading to cause and manner of death determinations and recommendations for prevention. Inquests are recorded as public record.
Legal Next of Kin: The nearest relative according to California State Law: spouse; if no spouse, then adult children; if none, surviving parents; or the closest blood relative, unless otherwise specified in a legal document.
Manner of Death: How the death came about.
Natural – due entirely (or nearly so) to natural disease processes.
Homicide – due to a volitional act of another person.
Suicide – due to injury with intent to self-harm or cause one's own death.
Accident – due to injury without evidence of intent to harm.
Undetermined – inadequate information to determine manner; e.g., an individual found unconscious with massive subdural hemorrhage where the circumstances cannot establish if the injury was accidental, homicidal, etc.
Medical Examiner: A medically qualified forensic pathologist and government official responsible for investigating deaths and injuries occurring under unusual or suspicious circumstances, performing post-mortem examinations, and initiating inquests in some jurisdictions.
Medicolegal Autopsy: A medicolegal autopsy is performed with the possibility of litigation in mind. It determines the cause of death, documents findings, and collects evidence. A key objective is reconstructing the events leading to death to establish a mode (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or undetermined). It differs from a hospital autopsy, which focuses on confirming disease. Medicolegal autopsies emphasize external examinations and injury documentation; microscopic exams are done only when indicated. Information about identification, time of death, drug use, injury age, etc., is crucial and must be recorded clearly and objectively to remain interpretable for years.
Toxicology: Postmortem toxicology analyzes biological specimens collected at autopsy for the presence of drugs, toxins, and poisons to help determine the cause and manner of death.