Cook County Medical Examiner

The office of existed as an elected position from the early history of Cook County's government until its abolition in 1976.

The first Coroner of Cook County was John Kinzie Clark, who was appointed in April 1831.

Ernst Schmidt, elected in 1862, resigned due to protest of interference with his job in January 1864.

[4] In its later years, occupants of the office and their inquest jurors often acted a rubber-stamp to the findings of the police and prosecutors.

[49] By the turn of the 21st century, the medical examiner's office was tasked with investigating roughly 5,000 deaths annually.