# What are the advantages of being a coroner? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562 "2008-09-14T15:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/1 "2008-09-14T15:57:01Z")
I don’t need to remind anyone that it is an election year. I have a question, in this year’s election here at home we are going to be electing someone to be coroner. Looking at the signs posted on the roads, I’m guessing that there are several candidates. It makes me wonder, what are the advantages of being coroner? Personally, I can’t see the advantages of being an elected offical at all except for the potential for graft and it makes me wonder, why would someone want to be coroner? First dibs on the good swag left over by the deceased, choice parts of the deceased, or is there something else that I am missing? ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/2 "2008-09-14T17:54:00Z")
It depends on where you live, but you get to be a semi-police officer and carry a gun. Also you can arrest the sheriff. Heck, now I want to run! > **[Coroner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coroner)** > > A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jurisdiction. > In medieval times, English coroners were Crown officials who held financial powers and conducted some judicial investigations in order to counterbalance the power of sheriffs or bailiffs. > Depending on the jurisdiction, the coroner may adjudge t... ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/3 "2008-09-15T02:12:14Z")
No risk of losing a patient (except literally, of course). [Dennis Miller] Oh Christ, honey, I gained one on the table today… [/DM] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/4 "2008-09-15T15:01:50Z")
You get to find out the role and alignment of recently deceased before the rest of the town. Whether or not you chose tho share than information, and when, is up to you. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/5 "2008-09-15T16:02:35Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > No risk of losing a patient (except literally, of course Reminds me of something I overheard on the radio when I was working rescue: \*“Rampart General to Dody-Bo Ambulance, can we have an update on your patient?” “Dody-Bo Ambulance to Rampart General, please stand by, we have lost our patient.” “Rampart General to Dody-Bo Ambulance, what EXACTLY do you MEAN when you say you have lost your patient?” “The back door came open, and we LOST him!”\* ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/6 "2008-09-15T16:07:35Z")
You mostly don’t get first choice of swag. That goes to the cops or EMTs. You do probably have first shot at gold teeth and fillings. You could have a lot of fun reporting interesting causes of death. “Stomped by Godzilla” would be one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/7 "2008-09-15T16:24:07Z")
> [@Santo\_Rugger](#): > > You get to find out the role and alignment of recently deceased before the rest of the town. Whether or not you chose tho share than information, and when, is up to you. But the big minus is that if the Werewolves don’t devour your, a Vampire will. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/8 "2008-09-15T16:25:33Z")
Eventually, you can have an entire jar full of bellybuttons. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/9 "2008-09-15T16:35:43Z")
Free lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/10 "2008-09-15T16:36:16Z")
I once asked a coronor that very question. He liked figuring out what killed people, got to work on some interesting cases and yes, he did mention not liking having to worry about his patients dying. It is a needed service. I’d be a coronor before I’d be a dentist. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/11 "2008-09-15T16:36:28Z")
Thomas Noguchi had a bunch…well, til he was caught. ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/12 "2008-09-15T17:26:39Z")
You get to poke dead bodies with a stick and no one can tell you not to. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-advantages-of-being-a-coroner/463562/13 "2008-09-15T17:32:18Z")
You could probably be a very happy closet necrophiliac for quite a while until you do something stupid. You get some of the fun of medicine without having to deal with actual people or the bizarre vagaries of complex living systems. Surgeons get all kinds of hell for puking into an open chest cavity. Coroners cover it with kitty litter and call it a day. Neurology textbooks don’t mention anything about doggy bags but everyone expects you to just know they aren’t allowed. Coroners don’t have that problem. You get full appreciation of the life works of the most avant garde artists working today. The book deals alone will make you millions. (Note: This works best in areas where ‘Wayne’ is a common middle name.)