Isn't it redundant to kill someone then autopsy them?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

I'm wathching Medium and they're watching a guy from death row get killed. States require them to be autopsied before they are released to the families. More tax dollars wasted?
Duckie

[Cuban_Liberal]

1. The original purpose of such statutes was...

... to prove that the death was not 'cruel', believe it or not.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. Weird.

How does that prove anything besides their state at death?
Duckie

[jdj]

5. what were they looking for?

I mean, if it's the chair, are they looking for burns and stuff?

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. It's state law that after someone is put to death...

They have to have an autopsy. On this episode of Medium, the guy was lethally injected.
Duckie

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. There's also an additional reason, actually...

In Ilinois, when anyone dies 'at the hands of another' (homicide), an autopsy is virtually mandatory to establish the cause and manner f death.

[RC]

2. Gotta slice'em up to

make sure that they're dead.

[Tom Kitten]

4. Gotta blame the liberals for this...

If not for them the state would be killing people without any notice.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. Well, redundancy assures that the job is done.

I mean, if you wanna be sure...

[Clark2008]

8. No.

As someone who has actually observed a few autopsies, I can state, categorically, that the sole purpose of an autopsy is for forensics.
There very well may be a case, solicited by the Schindlers, with Jeb's approval, to charge Michael Schiavo (or some within the court system) with manslaughter.
If the forensics show, once and for all, that Terri Schiavo had nothing but liquid in place of where the emotional and rationalizing epicenter of the cerebral cortex is, then there's no case.
The reason this is important, from my understanding, is that, because of some experimental metal nodes of some sort in Mrs. Schiavo's brain, a more detailed PET scan cannot be performed; therefore, all we have is the less-detailed CAT scan and 15 years of non-responsiveness.
It's all forenisics. I'm no expert, by any stretch, but I've covered my fair share of trials, medical examiners, police case and even Dr. William Bass and the Body Farm in my years as a reporter.

[napi21]

10. Thanks for that explaination. I had asked on another post why

Michael had asked for an autopsy. As much as I always think I thought of everything, I NEVER thought of the opposition charging him with manslaughter!

Yet another reason I have a living will, and Healthcare POA that states NO ARTIFICIAL MEANS OF LIFE SUPPORT! After this insanity, I figure...if they never put it in, they won't have to worry about taking it out!

[Clark2008]

13. In a normal world, no one WOULD charge him with manslaughter

But, my guess is that the criminal courts will not do it, but her family possibly will file a wrongful death suit in civil court.

[napi21]

14. It's very sad when relatives hate! They can be so much more

vindictive than almost any other enemy.

One more time, I'me afraid the only winners in this whole thing are the lawyers!!!

[jmcon007]

9. I wonder if they use sterile needles and alcohol

[Clark2008]

15. Yes, they do.

So as not to infect the people performing the autopsy in case of an accident.
It's really an amazing process. If you can get past two elements: the breaking of the breast plate and the sawing off of the top of the skull, the rest is really quite interesting. It's those initial, invasive techniques that really make your stomach knot up, but, once inside, curiosity of the human body and its workings takes over and it's not so "gross" anymore.

[tammywammy]

19. While my friend was taking Anatomy in medical school

she was going to take me to the lab to see the people. I'm curious about pretty much everything revolving around the human body. Our schedules never met up where I could go, but I was ready to jump at the chance.

[Sal Minella]

20. An Operating Room nurse told me this same thing....

that the worst part of surgery for her was the initial incision through the skin of the breathing three-dimensional human being, and once the incision was made the anatomy text memory and human body geography part of her brain took over, and the human-beingness of the patient faded into the background.

[gumby]

11. Don't know what "Medium" is,

but if they are autopsying executed prisoners, it's probably to find out if:

the bad bone is connected to the crime bone; the crime bone is connected to the evil bone; the evil bone is connected to the terrorist bone; now hear the Word of the Dub.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

12. Medium is a show on NBC starring Patricia Arquette as a Psychic

Medium. It's supposed to be based on a true person and her adventures.
It's really good.
Duckie

[Clark2008]

17. LOL!!

I know you're making a funny, but it is true that they do take DNA samples of certain types of criminals for research purposes. ;)

[ultraist]

18. Yes and sometimes they take the entire brain for research

There have been some interesting studies done on the brains of sociopaths, for instance.

I agree with your other statements, Michael ordered the autopsy to ensure that Terri's cerebral cortex was indeed gone. This will protect him from any civil suits but I also think he wants to set the public record straight.