Who decides if there will be an autopsy?

Q. Who decides if there will be an autopsy? A. This depends on who the person was and the circumstances surrounding the death. In Maryland, an individual dying as a result of a homicide, poisoning, suicide, criminal abortion, rape, therapeutic misadventure or drowning, or who died in a suspicious or unusual manner, or who died while apparently healthy, or who is dead on arrival at the hospital will be examined by the medical examiner in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. More  Read More →

Why are autopsies performed?

Q. Why are autopsies performed?  A. In Maryland, a death certificate must be completed by a doctor for all deaths before the body can be sent to the funeral home. When the person has a family doctor and dies from natural causes, the doctor can complete the death certificate and an autopsy may be unnecessary. However, if the person is not under the care of a physician or the death appears to be unusual or suspicious in nature or state law requires it, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner must... More

What is an autopsy?

Q. What is an autopsy? A. An autopsy is a series of tests and examinations performed on the body and its internal organs to determine the presence of an injury and/or to identify any disease that may have caused or contributed to the death of a person where the cause is not apparent. Tests are performed to check for the presence of infectious diseases, alcohol or drugs.  Source: Andrew G. Slutkin and Jamison G. White specialize in medical malpractice and catastrophic injury law with Silverman,... More

Just call it “Phelps Point”

Maybe it’s becoming chic to move to Baltimore. This spring, Charm City welcomed the newlyweds Jenna Bush and Henry Hager to a $440,000 rowhome in Federal Hill. But the presidential offspring’s move-in is officially old news now that Michael Phelps has bought a waterfront condo for a $1.69M in Fells Point. The pad reportedly boasts a pool (not Olympic-sized, unfortunately),... More

The bureaucrat, the bribes and the leaky toilet

I read a lot about China earlier this month in the buildup to the Olympics (quick aside: U-S-A! U-S-A!) but did not see the story about the bureaucrat, the bribes and the leaky toilet until Thursday. It seems a former transportation official was sentenced to death for accepting $3.2 million from builders in exchange for construction contracts. The bribes were uncovered after an apartment resident called police about water leaking from an abandoned unit above, owned by the bureaucrat. Maintenance... More

Obscenity or therapy? You be the judge

In Pennsylvania, a woman has pleaded guilty to violating federal obscenity laws for posting stories on her Web site involving the rape, torture and murder of children. More  Read More →

Get the goods on your coworkers’ criminal pasts

I am a hardened criminal. A danger to society. At least, I am according to criminalsearches.com, a new site that promises free, detailed criminal history reports. And I’m assuming the “hardened” part, as apparently my offense was more vicious than those of murderers and rapists. Believe me – I searched for a ton of names.... More

Harnessing Stooge-law power

My family had a poodle named Curly when I was younger. While her fur did curl a bit, my dad actually named her after Curly Howard from The Three Stooges. More  Read More →

At a loss for words?

I never played Scrabulous, the Scrabble imitator W4I1L1D2L1Y4 popular on Facebook. Personally, I don’t like playing regular Scrabble because I view it as a no-win situation as someone who makes a living with words: if I lose, I’m a dope; if I win, I’m supposed to. Still, I read with interest the decision by the Scrabulous... More

What would you change about the jury selection process?

Nothing. On the one hand, our jury system is terrible; on the other hand, our jury system is wonderful. The jury system is terrible because it delegates the most important decisions in the justice system to the people least knowledgeable of the justice system and the law. The jury system is wonderful because it demonstrates that, under our Constitution, so much power is delegated to the average citizen. Jury service is a duty and a privilege. Source: Professor Byron L. Warnken, University of Baltimore... More

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