(a) Whenever the district attorney general of any judicial district in this state is of the opinion that any death occurring in any county in that district attorney general’s judicial district has proceeded from a felonious cause, and that the cause of death cannot be adequately and safely determined in the absence of an autopsy upon the body of the deceased, the district attorney general may file with the judge of the court having criminal jurisdiction the district attorney general’s sworn petition, which shall set forth the district attorney general’s belief that the death in question proceeded from a felonious cause, that the cause of death cannot be adequately determined in the absence of an autopsy and the reasons that actuate the district attorney general’s belief as to the felonious nature of such death. Such petition may be presented to the judge having criminal jurisdiction, either in term time or in vacation, and either in the county in which it is claimed that the homicide occurred or in any other county of the judicial district, and the judge shall have power and authority to pass upon the same in any county of that judge’s district. When known or reasonably ascertainable, a copy of the petition shall be served upon the next of kin of the deceased.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 38-1-104

  • 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 several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) Upon the presentation of the petition to the judge having jurisdiction, the judge shall be authorized to consider the petition and in the exercise of sound judicial discretion, either make or deny an order authorizing an autopsy to be performed upon the body of the deceased. If the judge grants the petition, it shall then be the duty of the district attorney general to authorize the performance of the autopsy by some competent physician and to take all action necessary toward such end, including the disinterment of the body of the deceased should the body have been interred. The physician holding the autopsy shall file in the office of the clerk of the court having criminal jurisdiction in the county a full and complete report of the physician’s findings in connection with the autopsy, which report shall be available to such parties as may be interested in the report.
(c) The costs and expense of the autopsy shall be presented to and approved by the trial judge making the order for the autopsy, and upon approval by the trial judge, shall be payable by the state as other costs, chargeable to the state, are paid.
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