How do I get a Death Certificate?

You can obtain a death certificate from the funeral home, which handled the final arrangements; or from Louisiana Vital Records Registry. Their office locations are in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at (225) 242-4863 or in New Orleans, Louisiana @ (504) 568-5172.

How long can the Coroner keep a psychiatric or drug addicted patient locked up?

The Coroner can order a psychiatric evaluation on a patient under an Order of Protective Custody or OPC. The Coroner can also agree with the need for an involuntary commitment of a patient if, after an examination of the patient, the coroner finds the patient either dangerous to self, dangerous to others or gravely disabled and unable or unwilling to seek voluntary care. This is called a Coroner’s Emergency Certificate or CEC. Under the mental health law, the Coroner does not keep a patient in the hospital. Once a patient is committed to a hospital under the mental health law, the attending psychiatrist decides how long the patient stays. There are limitations under the mental health law that limits the stay to 15, 28 or 30 days depending on the circumstances. However, the psychiatrist can initiate a legal process called a judicial commitment. The patient can be kept in a facility against his/her will if a judicial commitment is issued by a judge.