About the Coroner Office

The Coroner is a county official who is elected to serve a four-year term. The Coroner has jurisdiction over all deaths investigated by his office.

Responsibilities of the Coroner's Office

The Dallas County Coroner has the responsibility to investigate all deaths that occur outside a medical facility and all deaths that occur as a result of a suspicious nature, violent act or as a result of an accident. The Coroner is then responsible for signing the death certificate and certifying the cause and manner of death.

Process of Investigation

The Coroner ensures that the scene of death and all evidence is preserved. The Coroner through the investigation then determines whether the death was Natural, Suicide, Homicidal, Accidental, or Undetermined Causes. The Coroner works closely with the Dallas County Sheriff's Department, Selma Police Department, Alabama Department of Public Safety, Alabama Department of Forensic Science and the Dallas County District attorney. The Coroner is responsible for notifying relatives of the unfortunate death of their loved one, the collection of the decedents personnel property and returning it to the family and also in making notification to the funeral home that the family chooses.