The Forensic Nurse

The Georgia Death Investigation Act (O.C.G.A. 45-16-20) requires that the coroner or county medical examiner of the county where the body is found or the death occurs be notified and that a medical examiner’s inquiry be made in all deaths that occur in this state that meet the following criteria:

1. As a result of violence;
2. By suicide or casualty;
3. Suddenly when in apparent good health;
4. When unattended by a physician; no person shall be deemed to have died unattended when the death occurred while the person was a patient of a hospice licensed under Article 9 of Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the Georgia Code.
5. In any suspicious or unusual manner, with particular attention to those persons 16 years of age and under;
6. After birth but before seven years of age if the death is unexpected or unexplained;
7. As a result of an execution carried out pursuant to the imposition of the death penalty under Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 17;
8. When an inmate of a state hospital or a state, county, or city penal institution; or

9. After having been admitted to a hospital in an unconscious state and without regaining consciousness within 24 hours of admission.

The laboratory system consists of eight regional laboratories. The laboratory locations are listed below. Please note that not all services are provided by each of our laboratories. Therefore, refer to each laboratory before submitting evidence. If a service is not available at a regional laboratory, evidence may be delivered to that laboratory for transfer to the appropriate laboratory, or mail directly to….

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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation  has published a document for the requirements needed to submit evidence collection kits for processing.

 http://www.ganet.org/gbi/labmanual.html 

Law enforcement agencies (local, state and federal)
Judicial systems
Medicolegal community
Other government laboratories
Regulatory and public service governmental agencies
Non-law enforcement security departments (for criminal cases only)

HOURS OF OPERATION

Laboratory hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Evidence receiving hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. , Monday through Friday .

The Crime Laboratory observes the State of Georgia official holiday schedule.