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Maryland chief medical examiner seeks narrower autopsy disclosure; press group urges clear statutory definitions
Summary
House Bill 290 would narrow what the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner must release by clarifying definitions of autopsy records and protecting sensitive details; the OCME and the press association clashed over whether narrowing disclosures would impede public-interest reporting.
The Health and Government Operations Committee took testimony on House Bill 290, which would clarify what the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) must disclose publicly and which parts of autopsy records and investigative data should remain protected.
Dr. Stephanie Dean, Maryland’s chief medical examiner, told the committee the OCME needs clearer statutory definitions to balance transparency with privacy. "Autopsy reports often include sensitive details, such as organ examinations, injury descriptions, blood tests, and pregnancy status," she said, and those details "may not be relevant to the cause and manner of death and should not be broadly disclosed."
Nut Graf: The bill responds to a recent court ruling and seeks to narrow OCME work-product definitions so the agency can release a final autopsy diagnosis…
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