Public Safety
New law separates Riverside County sheriff and coroner offices
Senate Bill 1379 requires Riverside County to create an independent medical examiner’s office by July 1, 2027 and adds deadlines for public reports on in-custody deaths.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1379 on September 30, requiring the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to separate the offices of sheriff and coroner and establish an independent medical examiner’s office by July 1, 2027, according to the California State Senate. The governor’s legislative update independently confirms the bill was signed.
What it means locally
The county must appoint a medical examiner who is a licensed physician and qualified pathology specialist. The law also requires Riverside County to publish an initial report within 24 hours of an in-custody death and a preliminary report within 72 hours, and to notify next of kin within 72 hours after the cause of death is determined. The change moves medicolegal death investigations out of the sheriff’s office and into the new medical examiner’s office. The accompanying photograph shows the Riverside County Historic Courthouse and is archival; it does not depict the bill signing or the sheriff-coroner operation.
Full report and further details: Read original report →