We should NEVER give up an elected position for an appointed one!!! That is when the people simply loose more rights and voting for those poitions are the peoples right. Appointments create options for corruption and favors to the special few. Never give up your american right to vote.

I think they need to get away from it being an elected position. If there are more elections, you'll get people like the owner? of Happy Joe's who runs or puts in when the office is vacant. You need medical personnel to run that office. Jenifer is doing a wonderful job. And as someone who worked under her for more than a year, I think she's the best choice.

I never understood why the coroners office was a political office. I don't understand why it has to be political can't we just have the best person for the job? Same with the county treasurer why is that a political position does it really matter that they are for or against abortion or for or against the war in Iraq? Is that really going to affect their decision making? Jennifer has really been an assist to this county and turned a horrible situation into one that has been effective.

ihavealife
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Sorry to say...you are woefully misinformed on this subject.

That's not to say that would be the most desirable option...but it is a legal possibility.

ihavealife
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Please read my previous post on this topic...As paraphrased from the WISCONSIN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL..YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A M.D. to be a Medical Examiner..Jennifer COULD indeed be a MEDICAL EXAMINER if the committee approved those qualifications.

You do NOT have to be a doctor to be a ME. Look through the state of Wisconsin and you will see many ME. Look at green bay. Jen can still work in the office. There are many ME's in Wisconsin.

No you dont have to buy a morgue or anything else.How do you get 1 and 1/2 doctors? Why?

Who is Joe Smo and his buddy? Do you really know what you are talking about "Ihavealief"?

janesvillean...As it stands right now Jennifer couldn't be the medical examiner if it was to change tomarrow...shes not a M.D and therefore can't do a autopsy that's way all bodies are sent to Madison.If we were to get a M.E we would also have to have a office,morgue,1& 1/2 doctors and everything thing else that goes along with it.This all started with joe smo wanting a buddy in the coroners office and when that didn't happen the M.E was brought up and passed !!Like a whinny little kid not getting their way.I say leave it as a coroner not a M.E.

I agree with Billy Ray with keeping Maybe out of the article. He really shouldnt be even in the article. Nor should the death of Karen gilbertson. Its over and done with and Keach is the Coroner. She has done a great job, but does the county want to be accountible for her actions or do we the tax payers want to just assume everything is goign like it should be?

I believe she has done a good job, although I voted for the other gal in the last election. Jennifer seems to be doing good as I have talked with some of her deputy coroners. That office was in such a mess after Gilbertson left. Terry Maybee, who himself is a man of integrity and served this county well as Chairman of the Rock County Board for years, saw the mess and was unable to fix it. He wisely resigned right away and the Governor was able to appoint out of the same pool of candidates rather than having to start all over again. I talked with Terry right after he resigned. My opinion is the Gazette didn't present the facts correctly about his resignation after only 8 days. After being sworn in, he was the only coroner available, besides one deputy and she was done in one week (Usually there are several on call deputies). Then Dane County (who was helping during transition)said they were pulling out after two weeks. There was no secretary in the office. So Terry had himself and no other support staff in place (No Chief Deputy, no deputy coroners, no secretary to help in the office, and no help from Dane Cty). I would have quit too. The county quickly hired a Chief Deputy for Jennifer after she was appointed and Dane County agreed to stay around for as long as needed. What a relief for Jennifer. I only mention this, because the article brings up the 8 day tenure of Terry Maybee, which is unfair if all the facts are known. An Examiner would take care of some of this from an accountability standpoint. The administration stays in control. Also, from what I hear, the Democratic Party of Rock County is the big pushers to stay with a coroner, since they have had that feather in their cap for years. Just my opinion.

It looks like the 2005 proposals to institute a statewide medical examiner system are stuck in committee at best. If it's true that Keach would qualify under the present regulations, and the county board wants to keep her in the job, they should probably proceed with the switchover. (But the law could change by the time we get there.)
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I remain convinced that no matter how well one individual is doing in the job, it is better removed from politics.

If you want control then you need to create a medical examiner. J. Keach has came into the office were things were messed up. But the question is do you want control or do you go with an elected official were the county really does not know what he/she does? It kind of goes with the honor system for the work that he/she does in office and what the tax payers get for there buck. Jennifer has done a good job. I agree. But does the county want control in the management of the office or do we the tax payers just want to assume that she is doing a great job? How can we base our decisions? We really know nothing about what she actually does. All we know is she is the coroner. Thats it. Can we the tax payers assume she is working all the time? I myself think she is doing a great job in keeping the office going but other then that I really know nothing else she does.I don't know. Iam sure this post will give me an idea :)

There might be some confusion over the definition of medical examiner versus coroner. Not all medical examiners are physicians. The committee would need to determine if the medical examiner system would be physician-based or staffed by “lay” examiners.
The current statutes do not have qualifications for medical examiners or coroners.
.WISCONSIN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
October 18, 2005 meeting of the Special Committee on the Powers and Duties of Coroners and Medical Examiners.

Billy Ray...I agree about uneducated people...Medical Examiner IS a M.D AND a Licensed Patholgist !!!! I will say that the mess Jennifer walked into she has done a GREAT JOB in turning that office around !

Jennifer Keach very well could get hired as the Medical Examiner. She would be a great hire. Uneducated people think the Medical Examiner needs to be a doctor...NOT TRUE. By having a Medical Examiner, you take the stupid partisan politics out of the process. If Jennifer Keach ever resigns or doesn't run again, then you could end up with another Gilbertson, who left the office in a total mess, but she was able to get ELECTED...Money Talks and BS walks.

Rock Co. doesn't need a medical examiner we do just fine with a coroner.When this passed in 2006 I couldn't understand where the money ,space and the Doctor would come from and with the economy the way that it is.... do I have to say more ?