Question

For this discussion forum, begin by reading the following statement and decide whether you agree or disagree with the statement: "The coroner system should be abolished in the United States in favor of the Medical Examiner system" This Discussion Board will be completed in alignment with practices found within the Next Generation Science Standards. Please complete this Scientific Discussion Board by following the 3 steps outlined below: 1. Create Your Initial Post: Create a New Thread titled with your last name and title of your discussion post (like "Smith: Module X Discussion Board"). In a thoughtful response to this discussion, write a short response to the above prompt using Claim, Evidence, Reasoning stating at least two scientific reasons for your stance. Make sure to use key ideas and language from the lesson. Your response need only be a paragraph or two. Make sure to appropriately cite your sources.

Answer 1

The claim in favor of abolishing the coroner system for the medical examiner system in the U.S. is supported by the specialized medical training of forensic pathologists and the necessity for scientific rigor and ethical considerations in postmortem examinations.

Step-by-step explanation:

In regard to the statement "The coroner system should be abolished in the United States in favor of the Medical Examiner system," a scientific approach to address this claim involves evaluating the roles and qualifications of coroners versus medical examiners. Forensic pathology, a critical field in determining causes of death, is predominantly carried out by medical examiners who are medically trained physicians specialized in pathology. Coroners, on the other hand, may not necessarily have a medical background but are often elected officials. Utilizing medical examiners ensures that death investigations are conducted with a high degree of medical knowledge, especially in cases that may involve complex scientific evidence. Therefore, one could claim that replacing the coroner system with medical examiners could standardize and improve the reliability of postmortem examinations. The evidence for this comes from the practice of forensic pathology where the applied understanding of disease, toxins, and DNA analysis is paramount to determining accurate causes and manners of death.

Ethical considerations are also essential in forensic investigations, and the medical examiner system adheres to professional principles, which is critical in maintaining public trust. Furthermore, by following the scientific method, the medical examiner system aligns with the process of science, which includes applying both inductive and deductive reasoning to form evidence-based conclusions. This reinforces the premise that the medical examiner system is more scientific and methodologically rigorous compared to the coroner system, which is largely non-medical and potentially inconsistent.