About the Medical Examiner’s office

The Medical Examiner who leads our office is a board-certified Forensic Pathologist. This position is an appointed, not elected, county official.

Our responsibilities

Wisconsin state statute 979.01 outlines our office's responsibilities. They include the following:

• Conducting medicolegal investigations into the deaths reported to our office
• Establishing whether a case is within our jurisdiction. Is it our responsibility to determine cause and manner of death?
• Issuing cremation authorizations
• Issuing disinterment permits

Details about our work

• We are an impartial, independent investigating agency
• We work with law enforcement, fire departments and health care system partners
• We strive to gather as much comprehensive, accurate information as possible
• When we accept jurisdiction, we determine the decedent’s cause and manner of death
• We provide forensic testimony, reports or investigative findings during court trials scrutinizing fatalities

Our additional duties

• Following up with affected families
• Participating in death prevention initiatives, community awareness and education and mass fatality preparedness