Chapter 979

979.07(2) (2) If a witness appearing before an inquest fails or refuses without just cause to comply with an order of the court under this section to give testimony in response to a question or with respect to any matter, the court, upon the failure or refusal or when the failure or refusal is duly brought to its attention, may punish the witness for contempt under ch. 785.

979.07 History History: 1983 a. 279; 1989 a. 122.

979.08 979.08 Inquests: instructions, burden of proof and verdict.

979.08(1) (1) When the evidence is concluded and the testimony closed, the judge or circuit court commissioner shall instruct the jury on its duties and on the substantive law regarding the issues inquired into before the jury. The district attorney shall prepare a written set of appropriate requested instructions and shall submit them to the judge or circuit court commissioner who, together with the district attorney, shall compile the final set of instructions which shall be given. The instructions shall include those criminal offenses for which the judge or circuit court commissioner believes a reasonable jury might return a verdict based upon a finding of probable cause.

979.08(2) (2) The jury’s verdict shall be based upon a finding of probable cause and shall be unanimous.

979.08(3) (3) The jury shall retire to consider its verdict after hearing all of the testimony and evidence, making all necessary inquiries and having been instructed in the law. The judge or circuit court commissioner shall provide the jury with one complete set of written instructions providing the substantive law to be applied to the issues to be decided. The verdict shall be in a form which permits the following findings:

979.08(3)(a) (a) Whether the deceased came to his or her death by criminal means and, if so, the specific crimes committed and the name of the person or persons, if known, having committed the crimes.

979.08(3)(b) (b) Whether the deceased came to his or her death by natural causes, accident, suicide or an act privileged by law.

979.08(4) (4) The jury shall render its verdict in writing, signed by all of its members. The verdict shall set forth its findings from the evidence produced according to the instructions.

979.08(5) (5) The verdict delivered by the inquest jury is advisory and does not preclude or require the issuance of any criminal charges by the district attorney.

979.08(6) (6) Any verdict so rendered, after being validated and signed by the judge or circuit court commissioner, together with the record of the inquest, shall be delivered to the district attorney for consideration. After considering the verdict and record, the district attorney may deliver the entire inquest record or any part thereof to the coroner or medical examiner for safekeeping.

979.08(7) (7) The record of a secret inquest proceeding shall not be open for inspection unless so ordered by the judge or circuit court commissioner conducting the inquest upon petition by the district attorney.

979.08 History History: 1983 a. 279; 2001 a. 61.

979.09 979.09 Burial of body. If any judge or circuit court commissioner conducts an inquest as to the death of a stranger or of a person whose identity is unknown or whose body is unclaimed or if the district attorney determines that no inquest into the death of such a person is necessary and the circuit judge has not ordered an inquest under s. 979.04 (2), the coroner or medical examiner shall cause the body to be decently buried or cremated and shall certify to all the charges incurred in taking any inquest by him or her and to the expenses of burial or cremation of the dead body. The charges and expenses shall be audited by the county board of the proper county and paid out of the county treasury.

979.09 History History: 1983 a. 279 s. 14; Stats. 1983 s. 979.09; 2001 a. 61.

979.10 979.10 Cremation.

979.10(1) (1) 

979.10(1)(a) (a) No person may cremate the corpse of a deceased person within 48 hours after the death, or the discovery of the death, of the deceased person unless the death was caused by a contagious or infectious disease. Notwithstanding s. 979.09, no person may cremate an unclaimed corpse if the deceased person died as the result of homicide. No person may cremate a corpse unless the person has received a cremation permit from:

979.10(1)(a)1. 1. The coroner or medical examiner in the county where the death occurred if the death occurred in this state;

979.10(1)(a)2. 2. The coroner or medical examiner in the county where the event which caused the death occurred if the death occurred in this state and if the death is the subject of an investigation under s. 979.01; or

979.10(1)(a)3. 3. The coroner or medical examiner of the county where the corpse is to be cremated if the death occurred outside this state. A cremation permit issued under this subdivision may not be used in any county except the county in which the cremation permit is issued.

979.10(1)(ae) (ae) The department of health services shall design a cremation permit application form for a person to use when applying for a cremation permit under par. (a). The department shall include in the form a place for a coroner or medical examiner to state that he or she has viewed the corpse that is the subject of the permit and made personal inquiry into the cause and manner of death under sub. (2) and is of the opinion that no further examination or judicial inquiry is necessary.

Effective date note NOTE: Par. (ae) is created by 2023 Wis. Act 84 eff. on the date specified in the Department of Health Services notice published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under 2023 Wis. Act 84, section 5 (1).

979.10(1)(am) (am) If the coroner or medical examiner of a county requires applicants for cremation permits to use an application form to apply for a cremation permit, a person who applies for a cremation permit in that county shall use the cremation permit application form designed under par. (ae) to apply for the cremation permit.

Effective date note NOTE: Par. (am) is created by 2023 Wis. Act 84 eff. on the date specified in the Department of Health Services notice published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under 2023 Wis. Act 84, section 5 (1).

979.10(1)(as) (as) Once completed by a coroner or medical examiner, the cremation permit application form designed under par. (ae) may constitute a cremation permit issued under par. (a) if authorized by the coroner or medical examiner of the county in which the cremation permit is issued.

Effective date note NOTE: Par. (as) is created by 2023 Wis. Act 84 eff. on the date specified in the Department of Health Services notice published in the Wisconsin Administrative Register under 2023 Wis. Act 84, section 5 (1).

979.10(1)(b) (b) A coroner or medical examiner shall include in any cremation permit issued under par. (a) a statement that he or she has viewed the corpse that is the subject of the permit and made personal inquiry into the cause and manner of death under sub. (2) and is of the opinion that no further examination or judicial inquiry is necessary. Unless further examination or judicial inquiry is necessary, a coroner or medical examiner shall issue a cremation permit under par. (a) within 24 hours of viewing the corpse or submission of the medical certification under s. 69.18 (2), whichever is later.

979.10(2) (2) If a corpse is to be cremated, the coroner or medical examiner shall make a careful personal inquiry into the cause and manner of death, and conduct an autopsy or order the conducting of an autopsy, if in his or her or the district attorney’s opinion it is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death. If the coroner or medical examiner determines that no further examination or judicial inquiry is necessary he or she shall certify that fact. Upon written request by the district attorney the coroner or medical examiner shall obtain the concurrence of the district attorney before issuing the certification. If the coroner or medical examiner determines that further examination or judicial inquiry is necessary, he or she shall notify the district attorney under s. 979.04 (2).

979.10(3) (3) The coroner shall receive a fee of $25, to be paid out of the county treasury, for each corpse viewed or inquiry made under sub. (2), unless an annual salary has been established by the county board under s. 979.11.

979.10(4) (4) Whoever accepts, receives, or takes any corpse of a deceased person with intent to destroy the corpse by means of cremation, or who cremates or aids and assists in the cremation of any corpse of a deceased person without having presented the permit specified in sub. (1) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than 9 months or both.

979.10 History History: 1971 c. 164 s. 86; 1973 c. 272; 1979 c. 177; 1983 a. 146; 1983 a. 279 s. 20; Stats. 1983 s. 979.10; 1985 a. 315; 2001 a. 104; 2015 a. 237; 2017 a. 246; 2023 a. 84.

979.10 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. DHS 135.06, Wis. adm. code.

979.10 Annotation Chapters 69 and 157 are not alternatives to the requirement in this section that anyone cremating a corpse first obtain a cremation permit from the coroner. University medical schools or anyone else qualified to receive a corpse can receive a corpse for research without first obtaining a permit. This section only requires that a permit be obtained before cremation. 77 Atty. Gen. 218.

979.11 979.11 Compensation of officers. The sole compensation of the coroner and deputy coroners for attendance at an inquest and for any preliminary investigation under this chapter at the direction of the district attorney shall be a reasonable sum set by the county board for each day actually and necessarily required for the purpose, and a sum set by the county board for each mile actually and necessarily traveled in performing the duty. Any coroner or deputy coroner may be paid an annual salary and allowance for traveling expenses to be established by the county board under s. 59.22 which shall be in lieu of all fees, per diem and compensation for services rendered.

979.11 History History: 1975 c. 294; 1977 c. 187 s. 135; 1977 c. 449 s. 497; 1983 a. 279 s. 15; Stats. 1983 s. 979.11; 1995 a. 201.

979.12 979.12 Fees for morgue services. A county board may establish a fee for the retention of a body at the morgue after the first day, not to exceed an amount reasonably related to the actual and necessary cost of retaining the body. This charge shall not apply to indigents.

979.12 History History: 1983 a. 146; 1983 a. 279 s. 23; Stats. 1983 s. 979.12.

979.22 979.22 Autopsies and toxicological services by medical examiners. A medical examiner may perform autopsies and toxicological services not required under this chapter and may charge a fee established by the county board for such autopsies and services. The fee may not exceed an amount reasonably related to the actual and necessary cost of providing the service.

979.22 History History: 1983 a. 146; 1985 a. 93; 1987 a. 403 s. 256; 1989 a. 298.