Electing a County Coroner: Pennsylvania

In the vast majority of counties in Pennsylvania, the county coroner is elected.  A candidate only needs to be a registered voter and many coroners do not have not medical background or a background in forensic pathology.  Some feel this creates the potential for problems such as:

• Improper cause of death decisions.
• Conflict of interests if the coroner is also a funeral home director.
• Missed death trends that implicate public health.

• Improper autopsy decisions.

A group of Pennsylvania coroners is pushing for more education post-election.  Requiring that certified pathologists fill the position is unlikely because they are expensive and in short supply.

For more information on the current post-election education requirements and a breakdown of back grounds represented by those currently elected, see Dane DiFilippo, Wanna be a Coroner? Just About Anybody Can – Just Win an Election, Philadelphia Daily News, May 26, 2009.