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Ronald E. Graeser,
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During this time he also worked part time as a design engineer in the aerospace industry. After he was in general practice full time for 10 years, he entered an anatomic/clinical pathology residency from which he graduated in 1986. Starting in 1973 until 1996 he was first a deputy medical examiner and then for 20 years the medical examiner (sometimes called chief medical examiner) for Newaygo County, Michigan. While continuing to work part time in general practice he served two other rural southwestern Michigan counties as their medical examiner. This exposure also spawned a forensic consulting practice.
During his civilian career Dr. Graeser spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps Reserves retiring at the rank of full colonel. Dr. Graeser currently is in semi-retirement working in general practice as a locum tenens physician in southwestern Michigan.
Prosecutors have told him that often after seeing his reports, defense attorneys would change from “lets fight this out in court” to a plea-bargaining mode. He says the cases that gave him the most satisfaction were those wherein he was able to inform and convince prosecutors of the innocence of subjects whom they were planning to charge with a crime. Rarely he declared a death to be homicide contrary to the prosecutor’s desires but in agreement with detectives’ conclusions.
Dr. Graeser believes that every death investigation (natural or not) must be as thorough as possible since this is the foundation upon which public safety and all other death investigations depend. The public’s confidence in their government is heavily influenced by death investigation. The coroner’s/medical examiner’s decisions and timeliness are usually adversely influenced by government funding.
During his civilian career Dr. Graeser spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps Reserves retiring at the rank of full colonel. Dr. Graeser currently is in semi-retirement working in general practice as a locum tenens physician in southwestern Michigan.
Prosecutors have told him that often after seeing his reports, defense attorneys would change from “lets fight this out in court” to a plea-bargaining mode. He says the cases that gave him the most satisfaction were those wherein he was able to inform and convince prosecutors of the innocence of subjects whom they were planning to charge with a crime. Rarely he declared a death to be homicide contrary to the prosecutor’s desires but in agreement with detectives’ conclusions.
Dr. Graeser believes that every death investigation (natural or not) must be as thorough as possible since this is the foundation upon which public safety and all other death investigations depend. The public’s confidence in their government is heavily influenced by death investigation. The coroner’s/medical examiner’s decisions and timeliness are usually adversely influenced by government funding.