Florida Statute 406.13
“Examiner's report; maintenance of records”
What it means
Once a death is reported under §406.12, Florida Statute 406.13 says what the district medical examiner does next. The examiner examines or takes charge of the body, notifies the appropriate law enforcement agency under §406.145, and — when the cause of death is established within reasonable medical certainty — reports the determination in writing to the state attorney.
The examiner must maintain duplicate copies of the records and the detailed findings of autopsy and laboratory investigations. Evidence or specimens gathered during the investigation may stay with the examiner or be delivered to a law enforcement officer assigned to the death.
- On notification the examiner must examine or take charge of the body and alert law enforcement under §406.145.
- The cause-of-death determination goes to the state attorney, in writing, once established within reasonable medical certainty.
- Duplicate copies of records and the detailed autopsy and laboratory findings must be maintained by the district medical examiner.
- Evidence and specimens may be retained by the examiner or delivered to an investigating law enforcement officer.
How it plays out
For estates, this section is why an autopsy file exists and where it lives. When a wrongful-death or life-insurance question follows the probate, the examiner's records — kept in duplicate under this section — are usually the first documents anyone requests. The other half matters too: the written report is generally a public record, while the photographs and recordings are sealed separately under §406.135. Knowing which half is which saves families a records fight.
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