52.202 Investigation by county medical examiner as to cause and manner of death; prisoners; medical records, papers, or documents; exemption from disclosure; definitions.

484 words·~2 min read·/mi/chapter-52/52-202

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Sec. 2.

(1)A county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner shall investigate the cause and manner of death of an individual under each of the following circumstances:

(a)The individual dies by violence.

(b)The individual's death is unexpected.

(c)The individual dies without medical attendance by a physician within the 1 year immediately preceding the time of death, or the individual dies while under home hospice care without medical attendance by a physician or a registered nurse within the 48 hours immediately preceding the time of death, unless the attending physician or a physician acting as the authorized representative of the attending physician, if any, is able to determine accurately the cause of death.

(d)The individual dies as the result of an abortion, whether self-induced or otherwise.

(2)If a prisoner in a county or city jail dies while imprisoned, the county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner, upon being notified of the death of the prisoner, shall examine the body of the deceased prisoner.

(3)In conducting an investigation under subsection

(1)or (2), a county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner may request the circuit court to issue a subpoena to produce medical records, books, papers, documents, or other items related to the death being investigated. The circuit court may punish a failure to obey a subpoena issued under this section as contempt of court.

(4)Medical records, books, papers, documents, or other items that a county medical examiner or deputy county medical examiner obtains in conducting an investigation under this act, whether in response to a subpoena or otherwise, are exempt from disclosure under the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.

(5)As used in this act:

(a)"Home hospice care" means a program of planned and continuous hospice care provided by a hospice or a hospice residence that consists of a coordinated set of services rendered to an individual at the individual's home on a continuous basis for a disease or condition with a terminal prognosis.

(b)"Physician" means an individual licensed as a physician under part 170 or part 175 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17001 to 333.17097 and 333.17501 to 333.17556.

(c)"Registered nurse" means an individual licensed as a registered professional nurse under part 172 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17201 to 333.17242.

History: 1953, Act 181, Eff. Jan. 1, 1954 ;-- Am. 1969, Act 92, Imd. Eff. July 24, 1969 ;-- Am. 2001, Act 26 , Imd. Eff. June 22, 2001 ;-- Am. 2004, Act 153 , Imd. Eff. June 15, 2004 ;-- Am. 2012, Act 171 , Imd. Eff. June 19, 2012 ;-- Am. 2026, Act 4 , Imd. Eff. Mar. 17, 2026