Zoe Michelle Welsch Autopsy

Dear Florence Earl:

Thank you for submitting a request for public records to Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Your request was received in this office on 5/23/2024 and given the reference number C000612-052324 for tracking purposes.
Records Requested: " To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Autopsy of Zoe Michelle Welsch -- date of death: 1/3/24

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Florence Earl

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Pursuant to California Government Code § 7922.535, staff will review your request and respond within 10 days to notify you if there are responsive records, or if an extension is necessary to determine if responsive records exist.  If your request was received after business hours or on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be considered the date of receipt. The 10-day response period starts with the first calendar day after the date of receipt. (Civ. Code § 10.)  You may be contacted by the department if there are questions regarding your request.

PLEASE NOTE: The California Public Records Act (CPRA) does not require a governmental body to create new information, to do legal research, or to answer questions.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed. Again, thank you for using the Records Request System.
Riverside County Sheriff's Department

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of May 23, 2024., Reference # C000612-052324.
Dear Florence Earl,
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office received a public information request from you on May 23, 2024. Your request mentioned: "To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the California Public Records Act, I hereby request the following records:

Autopsy of Zoe Michelle Welsch -- date of death: 1/3/24

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 calendar days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Florence Earl

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office has reviewed your request and has determined that the records requested are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (CPRA) for the following reasons:
Government Code § 7923.600(a) – provides that law enforcement investigation, security and intelligence information file records of a local police agency are exempt from disclosure. Furthermore, as set forth in Rivero v. Superior Court, 54 Cal. App. 4th 1048 (1997) and Williams v. Superior Court, 5 Cal, 4th 337 (1993), the investigatory file exemption to the public records act request is not lost even where the investigation is deemed concluded or terminated.

Government Code § 7927.705 – read in conjunction with Evidence Code § 1040, provides that official information acquired in confidence by a public employee is exempt from disclosure.

Government Code § 7927.705 – read in conjunction with Article 1, § 1 of the California Constitution provides that personal information details are subject to privacy rights that make such information exempt from disclosure.

Government Code § 7922.000 – the records in question are exempt because under the facts of the particular case the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest served by disclosure of the record.

Government Code § 7927.705 – read in conjunction with the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA”) statutory protections which provides that health care patient confidentiality and medical treatment details are exempt from disclosure.

Government Code § 7927.705 – read in conjunction with the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (“CACMIA”) statutory protections which provides that health care patient confidentiality and medical treatment details are exempt from disclosure.

Pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure, Section 129 (CCP129), photos of the deceased are not releasable absent a Court Order.
Please Note:
Requests for public record information about a decedent (Coroner's Packet) should be made in writing to the Coroner's Office. Send a letter that includes the following:
1. Decedent's name, date of death and Coroner's file number (if known).
2. Include the address where the reports are to be mailed.
3. Include a cashier's check (no personal checks) or money order in the amount of $23 payable to Riverside County Coroner
4. Send your request to:
Riverside County Sheriff-Coroner
800 S Redlands Avenue
Perris, CA 92570
Reports will be mailed as soon as they are ready. Please call their office at 951-443-2300 with any questions.
Please consider your CPRA request closed.
Sincerely,

Corr. Sergeant Ramo Griffin
CPRA Unit
Riverside County Sheriff's Office