FINAL EXAM FOR MEDICOLEGAL
INVESTIGATION QUESTIONS &
ACTUAL CORRECT ANSWERS
The primary responsibility of the UW medicolegal death investigation system is to
____________. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Certify the cause and manner of unnatural and
unexplained deaths.
______________ is/are responsible for legal statutes defining what deaths must be
investigated and who must be responsible for that investigation. - Correct Answer ✔✔ -
Each state
ABMDI - Correct Answer ✔✔ American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
A forensic ______________ is the specialist responsible for conducting forensic
autopsies. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Pathologist
In 1918, the first modern ME system in the US was established in _____________. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - New York City
A mixed medicolegal system can best described as one where _______________. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - The state has both medical examiners and coroners in different
areas
Although what deaths must be investigated varies, certain types of deaths almost
always require a medicolegal investigation. Read the following list of deaths and select
ALL that are likely to require a medicolegal investigation. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - A high-
school student dies after being admitted to the hospital with pox-like lesions
- A young adult male with no known health problems dies in a state penitentiary
- A 2 month old infant is found cold and unresponsive in their crib.
- A woman is found dead in her bathtub with slits on both wrists
- A middle age woman is found dead on a park bench
Forensic specialty boards were created to establish training standards for each
specialty and __________. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Offer examinations to demonstrate
that practitioners have attained some level competency in the field
Forensic Toxicologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of blood to estimate blood alcohol
levels at the time of death.
Forensic chemist/drug analyst - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Identification of a white powder
from a bag found on a decedent
, Questioned Document Examiner - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of handwriting on a
suicide note
Firearm and Toolmark Examiner - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of bullet found inside a
decedent's body
Forensic Anthropologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of trauma on skeletonized
human remains
Forensic Botanist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Identification of sees and pollen recovered
from a suspect's clothing
DNA analyst - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Skin cells found under the victim's fingernails
Forensic Odontologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Comparison of the teeth from an
unidentified skull with antemortem (living) records of a missing person
According to Ruiz et al. which of the following are the most common minimum
qualifications to be a coroner? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Be a US citizen
- Meet a minimum age requirement
- Be elected
If a person dies of natural cases under the care of a physician or registered nurse and
no suspicious circumstances are present who is typically responsible for signing off on
the manner of death on the death certificate? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - The medical
professional in charge of the deceased care at the time of death.
According to the article, US state statutes related to medicolegal investigation contain
information regarding job requirements, training, qualifications ______________, and
grounds for dismissal for medicolegal personnel and other government officials. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - Procedures
Some states allow judicial personnel, such as judges or attorneys, to sign death
certificates when ___________ or under special circumstances such as when an
inquest is held, or no death investigators are available and a physician was not present
upon death - Correct Answer ✔✔ - No body has been found, but death is presumed
True or False: The State of Iowa does not have coroners as part of its medicolegal
system - Correct Answer ✔✔ - True
Which of the following states requires coroners to be licensed physicians? - Correct
Answer ✔✔ - Minnesota
True or False: You may become a coroner in the state of Illinois with a prior felony
conviction. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - False
INVESTIGATION QUESTIONS &
ACTUAL CORRECT ANSWERS
The primary responsibility of the UW medicolegal death investigation system is to
____________. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Certify the cause and manner of unnatural and
unexplained deaths.
______________ is/are responsible for legal statutes defining what deaths must be
investigated and who must be responsible for that investigation. - Correct Answer ✔✔ -
Each state
ABMDI - Correct Answer ✔✔ American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators
A forensic ______________ is the specialist responsible for conducting forensic
autopsies. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Pathologist
In 1918, the first modern ME system in the US was established in _____________. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - New York City
A mixed medicolegal system can best described as one where _______________. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - The state has both medical examiners and coroners in different
areas
Although what deaths must be investigated varies, certain types of deaths almost
always require a medicolegal investigation. Read the following list of deaths and select
ALL that are likely to require a medicolegal investigation. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - A high-
school student dies after being admitted to the hospital with pox-like lesions
- A young adult male with no known health problems dies in a state penitentiary
- A 2 month old infant is found cold and unresponsive in their crib.
- A woman is found dead in her bathtub with slits on both wrists
- A middle age woman is found dead on a park bench
Forensic specialty boards were created to establish training standards for each
specialty and __________. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Offer examinations to demonstrate
that practitioners have attained some level competency in the field
Forensic Toxicologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of blood to estimate blood alcohol
levels at the time of death.
Forensic chemist/drug analyst - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Identification of a white powder
from a bag found on a decedent
, Questioned Document Examiner - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of handwriting on a
suicide note
Firearm and Toolmark Examiner - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of bullet found inside a
decedent's body
Forensic Anthropologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Analysis of trauma on skeletonized
human remains
Forensic Botanist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Identification of sees and pollen recovered
from a suspect's clothing
DNA analyst - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Skin cells found under the victim's fingernails
Forensic Odontologist - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Comparison of the teeth from an
unidentified skull with antemortem (living) records of a missing person
According to Ruiz et al. which of the following are the most common minimum
qualifications to be a coroner? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - Be a US citizen
- Meet a minimum age requirement
- Be elected
If a person dies of natural cases under the care of a physician or registered nurse and
no suspicious circumstances are present who is typically responsible for signing off on
the manner of death on the death certificate? - Correct Answer ✔✔ - The medical
professional in charge of the deceased care at the time of death.
According to the article, US state statutes related to medicolegal investigation contain
information regarding job requirements, training, qualifications ______________, and
grounds for dismissal for medicolegal personnel and other government officials. -
Correct Answer ✔✔ - Procedures
Some states allow judicial personnel, such as judges or attorneys, to sign death
certificates when ___________ or under special circumstances such as when an
inquest is held, or no death investigators are available and a physician was not present
upon death - Correct Answer ✔✔ - No body has been found, but death is presumed
True or False: The State of Iowa does not have coroners as part of its medicolegal
system - Correct Answer ✔✔ - True
Which of the following states requires coroners to be licensed physicians? - Correct
Answer ✔✔ - Minnesota
True or False: You may become a coroner in the state of Illinois with a prior felony
conviction. - Correct Answer ✔✔ - False
