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Author: Yujiemi Chisholm
Forensics TTA

Testimony Training for Medical Examiner and Coroner (MEC) Offices

This presentation features Shannon Hodder, Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Office of the DeKalb County District Attorney, and Allison Lewis, Staff Attorney for the DNA Unit of the Legal Aid Society. It is tailored for MEC professionals with all levels of experience seeking to strengthen their foundational understanding of testimony, both criminal and regarding depositions. Viewers are introduced to the perspectives of prosecution and defense, as well as cover pointers for depositions which are the most common interaction for MEC professionals with the legal system. The presentation provides tips on preparing and providing testimony, including the use of medical terminology and knowing when to say something is out of your area of expertise. Presenters also discuss the controversy surrounding manner of death in the courtroom.
June 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to identification, body examinations, notifying next of kin, reporting contagious diseases, and fetal, infant and child death investigations, including SUIDI, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to case jurisdiction, numbering, notification of death, cause and manner of death, scene protocol, and documentation and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to general jurisdiction, determination of death, photography, and investigation guidelines, including case specific, child/infant, and scene protocol and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at their state medical examiner’s office.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to communication with other entities and procedures for notifying next of kin, cold-case review, operational tasks, including scene management, report preparation, and body bag handling, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to responding to various calls, documenting decedent history, handling known decedents, hospital cases, and investigations and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office with autopsies performed at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to communication with law enforcement, response expectations, transitioning case responsibility, identification methods, pronouncement of death, handling unidentified remains and cases involving non-US citizen decedents, and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies in-house.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Medium Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to notifying next of kin, shift changes, decedent identification, child fatalities, fetal deaths, hospital/hospice deaths, unidentified cases, and undetermined cases and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a medium-sized office that performs autopsies in-house and at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: Death Investigation Documents

These documents pertain to deferred cases, positive identification, scene investigation, search warrants, infant death, time of death, notification to OSHA, and witness interviewing and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies at other facilities.
May 2026
Accreditation Document Repository

Small Office: Investigative Practices Documents

These documents pertain to disease reporting, reporting neonatal deaths, deaths after medical intervention, entomology procedures, photography, communication with law enforcement, and next of kin notification and address standards for IACME Agency Practices, section “A” as well as IACME Investigative Practices, section “B”. These examples are reflective of a small office that performs autopsies at other facilities. 
May 2026