Crocker appointed to Alabama Coroners Training Commission

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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker (contributed)

CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker was recently appointed by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to the Alabama Coroners Training Commission for a one-year term. 

According to www.alacoroner.org, the “Alabama Coroners Training Commission seeks to provide comprehensive training programs and resources for death investigation professionals in Alabama. With a focus on enhancing skills and knowledge in forensic science, investigative techniques, and legal procedures, the Commission ensures high standards in the field.”

“I am honored that Gen. Marshall would appoint me to serve on this commission, which ensures high standards in death investigations,” Crocker said. “Deaths are tragic, but through our officers, prosecutors and coroners working together, we can achieve justice.”

The commission is responsible for making sure coroners are properly trained, which is critical for law enforcement. 

“Coroners are called to death scenes, and when such a death appears to be unlawful, suspicious or unnatural, an autopsy may be ordered,” Crocker said. “The law says such an autopsy may be ordered by the governor, the attorney general, a circuit judge or district attorney. It is typically the district attorney who orders an autopsy. When a district attorney orders an autopsy, the body is then sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for examination. I always give this decision serious thought, realizing that patient is someone’s parent, someone’s spouse or someone’s child. An autopsy can prove a crime occurred; on the other hand, an autopsy can prove no crime occurred due to natural death.”

Under Alabama law, any coroner, deputy coroner or any person authorized to officially represent the county coroner shall complete 12 hours of training each year, which is approved by the Alabama Coroners Training Commission, Crocker shared. 

“At 6 a.m. on my first day in office, (Cullman County) Coroner (Jeremy) Kilpatrick called me from the scene of a suspicious death,” Crocker said. “I learned then how crucial it is for the elected district attorney and the coroner to have an open and direct line of communication. Coroners don’t get enough credit for the risk factors they face in their public service duties, like fentanyl exposure, biohazard exposure and even violence. I appreciate the work they do, and I hope I can assist them on this commission for the next year.”

Crocker also shared the following: 

“When the state legislature formed the commission in 2007, it made these findings: (1) An unattended and sudden death is one of society’s most tragic events and should receive the appropriate caring, competent, and thorough attention of all levels of government; (2) A suspicious, sudden, or violent death is very difficult to investigate and to accurately determine the cause and manner of death for the death certificate; (3) Medical examiners and coroners determine the cause of death and with other forensic scientists and investigators determine the manner of death; (4) Death certificates issued on unattended, sudden, and violent deaths greatly impact government spending decisions, the living loved ones, and insurance decisions so that the accuracy of the death certificate is of great concern to the Legislature; (5) There are currently no minimum standards of training for county coroners; (6) Local coroners or non-physician death investigators are necessary and critical to the investigation of unattended deaths in Alabama; (7) The competency of unattended death investigations is directly related to the minimum education and training standards of the investigators and standards need to be established and implemented statewide.” (Alabama Code 11-5-30)

“I am looking forward to working with my fellow commission members to make sure that our coroners have excellent training,” he said.