Montana Code 46-4-101. Jurisdiction — death and cause of death in different counties
46-4-101. Jurisdiction — death and cause of death in different counties. (1) The coroner of the county where a dead human body is found has jurisdiction if:
Terms Used In Montana Code 46-4-101
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
(a)the place of death is unknown;
(b)the dead human body was shipped into the county without proper permits; or
(c)the death occurred while the deceased was in transit in the state.
(2)When death occurs as a direct result of acts or events that occurred in another county, the coroner of the county where the acts or events causing death occurred has jurisdiction. If a coroner that has jurisdiction of a death fails to act, the state medical examiner has jurisdiction.
(3)A county coroner has primary jurisdiction in the county in which the coroner is appointed or elected to serve. However, a qualified coroner may serve in another county upon the request of the coroner or county attorney of that county. A coroner may travel to another county to inquire into a death pursuant to 46-4-122.