Postmortem examinations or autopsies: forensic pathologists.

Existing law requires a county coroner to inquire into and determine the circumstances, manner, and cause of certain deaths. Existing law either requires or authorizes a county coroner, under certain circumstances, to perform, or cause to be performed, an autopsy on a decedent. Existing law imposes certain requirements on a postmortem examination or autopsy conducted at the discretion of a coroner, medical examiner, or other agency upon an unidentified body or human remains. Existing law requires the coroner to perform an autopsy pursuant to a standardized protocol developed by the State Department of Public Health in any case where an infant has died suddenly and unexpectedly.