[(***ACURTIS***)]AS 2019 BEGINS,
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY'S
SHERIFF'S
AND CORONER'S OFFICES HAVE BEEN
OFFICIALLY COMBINED.M-T-N'S
JONATHON AMBARIAN LOOKS AT WHAT
WILL CHANGE, AND WHAT WON'T,
AFTER THE CONSOLIDATION.###




{BRYAN BACKEBERG SAYS HIS
RESPONSIBILITIES AS LEWIS AND
CLARK COUNTY CORONER WENT BEYOND
SIMPLY INVESTIGATING
DEATHS.}{FROM MANAGING DOCUMENTS
TO SUPERVISING
TRAINING.}{“THERE'S A LOT OF
BEHIND THE SCENES THAT PEOPLE
DON'T SEE.”}{NOW, BACKEBERG
WILL NO LONGER BE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE
DUTIES.}{ON JANUARY
FIRST, HE ENDED MORE THAN TWO
YEARS AS CORONER.}{COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS DECIDED
TO COMBINE HIS OFFICE WITH THE
LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE.}{SHERIFF LEO
DUTTON WAS ELECTED IN NOVEMBER
AS THE FIRST CONSOLIDATED
SHERIFF-CORONER.}{CG: LEO
DUTTON, LEWIS CLARK COUNTY
SHERIFF- CORONER}{“MY JOB IS TO
BE THE CORONER, FIELD THE
QUESTIONS, MAKE SURE THAT THE
WORK GETS DONE, MAKE SURE THAT
THE EMPLOYEES HAVE THE
TOOLS THEY NEED, THE EDUCATION
THEY NEED.”}{THE CORONER'S
OFFICE IS NOW THE
CORONER'S DIVISION.}{BACKEBERG
WILL REMAIN, AS A LEAD DEPUTY
CORONER.}{HIS TWO
CURRENT EMPLOYEES WILL ALSO
STAY.}{FOUR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES
HAVE GONE THROUGH TRAINING TO
SERVE
AS ADDITIONAL DEPUTY
CORONERS.}{WHEN THEY'RE
OFF-DUTY, THEY WILL BE ON CALL
TO RESPOND TO
CORONER'S CALLS.}{DUTTON SAYS,
AT THOSE TIMES, THEY WON'T BE
RESPONDING AS LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS.}{“THE JOB IS
DIFFERENT, THE LAWS ARE
DIFFERENT, AND YOU HAVE
FOR ONLY TWO TRAINED CORONERS TO
HANDLE.}{HE HOPES THE
ADDITIONAL STAFFING WILL RELIEVE
SOME OF THAT.}{CG: BRYAN
BACKEBERG, LEWIS
CLARK COUNTY LEAD DEPUTY
CORONER}{“SOME DAYS, THERE WERE
48 HOURS OF STRAIGHT NO
SLEEP, TAKING CARE OF A SCENE,
THE DECEASED, GETTING THEM TO AN
THAT'S
BEEN MY BIGGEST PUSH MOVING
FORWARD WITH THE CONSOLIDATION,
IS TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES,
BEFORE WE CAN TAKE CARE OF
OFFICE ON RODNEY STREET, AT
LEAST
FOR NOW.}{THIS WEEK, THE COUNTY
JUSTICE CENTER ON FULLER
AVENUE.”}{BO
DUTTON AND BACKEBERG SAY THEY
WANT TO ENSURE THERE'S NO CHANGE
IN THE CORONER'S COMMITMENT
TO COMPASSION AND SERVING
FAMILIES IN NEED.}{“WE HOPE THAT
YOU DO NOT NOTICE ANY
BREAK IN SERVICE.”}{IN HELENA,
JONATHON AMBARIAN, M-T-N
NEWS.}{###}
NEED.}{“WE HOPE THAT YOU DO NO
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN THE
CORONER'S COMMITMENT TO
COMPASSION AND SERVING FAMILIES
IN
NEED.}{“WE HOPE THAT YOU DO NOT
NOTICE ANY BREAK IN
SERVICE.”}{IN HELENA, JONATHON
AMBARIAN, M-T-N NEWS.}{###}




[(***ACURTIS***)]THERE WILL BE
ONE MAJOR CHANGE IN THE NEWLY
CONSOLIDATED OFFICE.IF A PERSON
DIES WHILE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CUSTODY OR IN AN
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING, THE
CORONER MUST
HOLD AN INQUEST.BUT STATE LAW
PROHIBITS A CORONER WHO IS
ALSO A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
FROM CONDUCTING
INQUESTS IN THOSE CASES.THAT
MEANS LEWIS AND CLARK COUNTY
WILL HAVE
TO BRING IN A CORONER FROM
ANOTHER COUNTY.###
