Bill allows employment of medicolegal death investigators

A public hearing for Bill 270 was held Friday afternoon.

Introduced by Speaker Therese Terlaje, the bill is relative to the employment of medicolegal death investigators.  This bill aims to improve the quality of criminal investigations and ability to prove cases at trial before jurors and judges under the highest burden of proof, that is beyond a reasonable doubt.

Attorney general Douglas Moylan in a release states, "The people deserve to have a properly staffed Chief Medical Examiner’s Office to protect their legal interest."

He also adds that Guam needs a full-time CME. In an effort to modernize the CME’s Office and to attract a new CME, the AG's Office supports the addition of a “death investigator" to the staffing pattern.

As KUAM reported, Dr. Jeffrey Nine resigned as CME in April, but has entered into a new agreement, serving in an acting capacity until a new CME is found.