San Francisco

New San Francisco Medical Examiner Faces Backlog of Cases

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A new chief of the San Francisco medical examiner's office will tackle a backlog of more than 800 death cases when he takes the job.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Dr. Michael Hunter, who is now chief medical examiner in Panama City, Fla., will start the position by early April.

Dr. Amy Hart, stepped down from the chief medical examiner's position last March, but continued to work in the office. The hunt for a replacement has been on ever since.

A Chronicle investigation found that the medical examiner's office has an enormous backlog of cases, some dating back to 2012. That violates national industry standards, which call for medical examiners to close 90 percent of cases within 90 days. City Administrator Naomi Kelly said part of the backlog stems from the current system of perhaps overly detailed examinations.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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