District of Columbia § 5-1402 Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; appointments, qualifications, and compensation.

District of Columbia Statutes

§ 5-1402 — Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; appointments, qualifications, and compensation.

District of Columbia § 5-1402

Title 5Police, Firefighters, Medical Examiner, and Forensic Sciences.

Ch. 14Chief Medical Examiner.

This text of District of Columbia § 5-1402 (Establishment of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; appointments, qualifications, and compensation.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

D.C. Code § 5-1402 (2026).

Text

(a)There is established as a subordinate agency in the Executive branch of the District government, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

(b)The Mayor shall nominate, with the advice and consent of the Council, a person to serve as the Chief Medical Examiner within the OCME pursuant to § 1-523.01(a) . The CME shall be responsible for the management and operation of the OCME. The CME shall appoint a Deputy CME and any other medical examiners the CME finds necessary to carry out the duties of the OCME.

(1)The CME, the Deputy CME, and any medical examiners appointed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be physicians licensed to practice medicine in the District.

(2)Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, the CME, the Deputy CME, and any medical exami

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(a) There is established as a subordinate agency in the Executive branch of the District government, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

(b) The Mayor shall nominate, with the advice and consent of the Council, a person to serve as the Chief Medical Examiner within the OCME pursuant to § 1-523.01(a) . The CME shall be responsible for the management and operation of the OCME. The CME shall appoint a Deputy CME and any other medical examiners the CME finds necessary to carry out the duties of the OCME.

(1) The CME, the Deputy CME, and any medical examiners appointed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be physicians licensed to practice medicine in the District.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, the CME, the Deputy CME, and any medical examiners appointed after October 19, 2000, shall be certified in forensic pathology by the American Board of Pathology or be eligible for such certification.

(3) The certification requirement of paragraph (2) of this subsection may be waived by the Mayor for the CME appointed to fill the term beginning on May 1, 2007, and ending on April 30, 2013.

(d) The Mayor shall fix the compensation of the CME pursuant to subchapter X-A of Chapter 6 of Title 1 [ § 1-610.51 et seq.]. The Mayor shall fix the compensation of all medical examiners appointed by the CME pursuant to this section.

(e) The CME shall be appointed for a 6-year term.

(f) If a vacancy in the position of Chief Medical Examiner occurs as a consequence of resignation, disability, death, or a reason other than the expiration of the term of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Mayor shall appoint a replacement to fill the unexpired term in the same manner provided in § 1-523.01(a) . A person appointed to fill the unexpired term shall serve only for the remainder of the term.

Legislative History

Oct. 19, 2000, D.C. Law 13-172, § 2903, 47 DCR 6308; Apr. 12, 2005, D.C. Law 15-339, § 2, 52 DCR 2283; Mar. 20, 2008, D.C. Law 17-115, § 2, 55 DCR 1278; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 203, 56 DCR 7413; Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-155, § 3042, 61 DCR 9990