AGENCY: Salt Lake City (Utah). City Court
SERIES: 2245
TITLE: Inquest registers
DATES: i 1909-1965.
ARRANGEMENT: The volumes are chronological. Entries are primarily chronological.
DESCRIPTION: The city judge as ex-officio justice of the peace acted as coroner holding inquests on the bodies of those supposed to have died of unlawful means within his precinct. A register of inquests was kept recording the date; the name of the deceased if known, if not, a description of the deceased; description of any property found on the deceased and its disposition; and the cause of death if determined.
In addition to the description and disposition of the body and property found with it, the first volume often records a brief procedural summary of the inquest, including the names of the jurors, the names (but not the testimony) of witnesses, a summary of any autopsy held, and an itemization of costs incurred in holding the inquest. Occasionally a pertinent newspaper clipping, suicide note, etc. was glued into the volume. The second volume rarely includes such detail: Entries are frequently limited to a docket noting dates of orders, subpoenas, and requests for post-mortems, along with the resultant expenses.
RETENTION
DISPOSITION
RETENTION AND DISPOSITION AUTHORIZATION
These records are in Archives' permanent custody.
FORMAT MANAGEMENT
Paper: Retain in State Records Center until microfilmed and then destroy provided microfilm has passed inspection.
Microfilm duplicate: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
Microfilm master: Retain in State Archives permanently with authority to weed.
APPRAISAL
Historical
PRIMARY DESIGNATION
Public