22 §3021. Title
§3021. Title This chapter shall be referred to as the Medical Examiner Act. [PL 1967, c. 534, §2 (NEW).] SECTION HISTORY PL 1967, c. 534, §2 (NEW).
22 §3022. Office of Chief Medical Examiner
§3022. Office of Chief Medical Examiner 1. Appointment and qualifications of the Chief Medical Examiner. There is created, in the Department of the Attorney General, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner for the State. The Chief Medical Examiner is appointed by the Governor for a term of 7 years and until the Chief Medical Examiner’s […]
22 §3023-A. Medicolegal death investigators; appointment; jurisdiction
§3023-A. Medicolegal death investigators; appointment; jurisdiction The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint persons who are not physicians as medicolegal death investigators, who have statewide jurisdiction and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Medical Examiner, subject to the Chief Medical Examiner’s control and rules adopted by the Chief Medical Examiner. Medicolegal death investigators must meet […]
22 §3023. Medical examiners; appointment; jurisdiction
§3023. Medical examiners; appointment; jurisdiction The Chief Medical Examiner shall appoint medical examiners, who have statewide jurisdiction and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Medical Examiner, subject to the Chief Medical Examiner’s control and the rules adopted by the Chief Medical Examiner. Medical examiners are appointed for a term of no more than 5 […]
22 §3024. Salaries; fees; expenses
§3024. Salaries; fees; expenses The salary of the Chief Medical Examiner of the State must be set by the Governor. Other nonsalaried medical examiners and nonsalaried medicolegal death investigators, upon the submission of their completed report to the Chief Medical Examiner, must be paid a fee of up to $100 for an inspection and view […]
22 §3025. Medical examiner case
§3025. Medical examiner case 1. Circumstances of death that must be reported. A medical examiner case may exist and must be reported as provided in section 3026 when remains are found that may be human and raise suspicion that death has occurred under any of the following circumstances: A. Death is suspected of having […]
22 §3026. Reports of death
§3026. Reports of death 1. Persons suspecting medical examiner case. Any person who becomes aware of a suspected medical examiner case shall immediately notify a law enforcement officer or the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. As used in this subsection, “person” means a natural person, including a public servant, and a corporation, partnership, unincorporated association […]
22 §3027. Procedure at scene of death
§3027. Procedure at scene of death 1. Movement or alteration of body prohibited. Except as otherwise provided in this section: A. In any medical examiner case a person may not move or alter the body or any objects at the scene of death prior to the arrival, or without the express authorization, of the […]
22 §3028-A. Disposal of unidentified remains and abandoned human remains
§3028-A. Disposal of unidentified remains and abandoned human remains Whenever unidentified human remains are recovered, the Chief Medical Examiner may store the remains, release them to an educational institution, inter them in an appropriate resting place or have them cremated. Ashes of remains cremated may be disposed of in any appropriate manner. Human remains uncovered […]
22 §3028-B. Retention of body fragments and body fluids
§3028-B. Retention of body fragments and body fluids A medical examiner or the medical examiner’s designated pathologist may retain body fragments or body fluids for evidence, further study or documentation. [RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §152 (COR).] SECTION HISTORY PL 1985, c. 611, §8 (NEW). RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §152 (COR).
22 §3028-C. Disposal of nonsubstantial fragments and fluids; disposal of substantial fragments
§3028-C. Disposal of nonsubstantial fragments and fluids; disposal of substantial fragments 1. Disposal of nonsubstantial body fragments and body fluids. Body fragments or body fluids retained for evidence, further study or documentation, or those that have been recovered after the body has been released from the custody of the medical examiner, may be disposed of […]
22 §3028-D. Disposal of identified human remains without connection to State and unidentified human remains
§3028-D. Disposal of identified human remains without connection to State and unidentified human remains 1. Assumption of responsibility. The Chief Medical Examiner may assume responsibility for proper disposition of the identified human remains of a deceased nonresident of this State or unidentified human remains that are the subject of a medical examiner case if the […]
22 §3028. Investigation; autopsy
§3028. Investigation; autopsy (CONTAINS TEXT WITH VARYING EFFECTIVE DATES) 1. Authority to conduct investigation. The medical examiner or medicolegal death investigator has authority to conduct an investigation and inquiry into the cause, manner and circumstances of death in a medical examiner case. The medical examiner or medicolegal death investigator shall, if it is determined necessary, […]
22 §3029. Body buried without inquiry
§3029. Body buried without inquiry 1. Notification of district attorney or Attorney General. If in any medical examiner case: A. The body is buried: (1) Without inquiry or examination by the medical examiner; (2) Before the inquiry or examination has been completed to the satisfaction of the medical examiner; or (3) […]
22 §3030. Victims of crime (REPEALED)
§3030. Victims of crime (REPEALED) SECTION HISTORY PL 1967, c. 534, §2 (NEW). PL 1973, c. 567, §20 (AMD). PL 1977, c. 59, §3 (RP).
22 §3031. Facilities and services available to medical examiners
§3031. Facilities and services available to medical examiners The facilities of all laboratories, under the control of any state agency or department and the services of the professional staffs thereof, shall be made available to the Chief Medical Examiner with the cooperation of the head of the agency involved. [PL 1967, c. 534, §2 […]
22 §3032. Rules
§3032. Rules The Chief Medical Examiner is authorized and empowered to carry into effect this chapter and, in pursuance thereof, to make and enforce such reasonable rules consistent with this chapter as the Chief Medical Examiner determines necessary. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, […]
22 §3033. Limitation on liability of certain persons appointed or retained
§3033. Limitation on liability of certain persons appointed or retained 1. Additional immunities. In addition to all existing tort immunities enumerated in the Maine Tort Claims Act: A. A medical examiner may not be held liable for damages for any injury or damage that results from the exercise and discharge of any of the […]
22 §3034. Missing persons
§3034. Missing persons 1. Files; information. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner shall maintain files on missing persons sufficient for the purpose of identification when there is reason to suspect that those persons may not be found alive. These files may include such material as medical and dental records and specimens, details of personal property […]
22 §3035. Fees
§3035. Fees 1. Fees. Except as provided in subsections 3 and 4, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner shall charge a fee for providing report documents, histological slides and other items or additional services sought by a person entitled to obtain that item or service relating to a medical examiner case. Fees are to be […]