Some autopsy reports could be closed under a measure introduced by Rep. Charlie Joyner, R-Midwest City.
Joyner filed House Bill 1580 to allow the Chief Medical Examiner to withhold the release of autopsy reports in some cases.
“The Chief Medical Examiner may, at the discretion of the Chief Medical Examiner, withhold the public release of a final autopsy report pursuant to the request of a district attorney or law enforcement agency if release of the records may impede an ongoing criminal investigation,” the measure said.
The Oklahoma Press Association and open records advocates oppose the bill, which Joyner said was a request by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
“The Medical Examiner's office has a very important, but independent function,” said Mark Thomas, Oklahoma Press Association executive vice president.
“State autopsy reports are basic facts about deaths in Oklahoma and those should be public records," Thomas said. “The Medical Examiner's office is not part of the crime-solving agencies in Oklahoma. They should not be subject to the wishes and wants of law enforcement agencies.”
The measure was to be heard by a House panel on Wednesday, but Joyner pulled it, saying the bill may not be necessary.
He said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, is seeking a meeting with the Medical Examiner's Office to determine how the agency views current law regarding the release of such information.
Brown said she believes the law already allows for the information to be withheld.
She said the release of some information, such as location of wounds and type of weapon, could impede investigations if they are made public.
She cited the release of information regarding the June 8 murders of Taylor Paschal-Placker, 13, and Skyla Whitaker, 11, who were shot along a dirt road in a rural area outside of Weleetka. The case is unsolved.
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