Falsehood – “This is a doctor’s job”
The incumbent Democrat has been telling people that the Coroner’s job in Colorado is “a doctor’s job”. He cites “Quincy” and “CSI” as proof.
But we all know that Hollywood never gets anything right.
Truth – It is an administrative position, and no medical training at all is required.
Colorado has 64 Coroners. Only 8 of those are Forensic Pathologist doctors. The incumbent finally admitted that in a public forum at the League of Women Voters candidate forum on October 14th.
The incumbent’s best golfing buddy, the coroner in Prowers County, is a part-time insurance salesman. That’s his qualification. Why doesn’t the incumbent say “Don’t send a part-time insurance salesman to do a doctor’s job”? Oh yeah, I remember. The Coroner in Prowers county is a Democrat. And the incumbent says that politics shouldn’t play a part in this election.
The incumbent has, by his claim, insulted almost every Coroner in Colorado, and proclaimed him not to be qualified to hold the job.
In Colorado, the Coroner is the administrative head of the office, and he is empowered to hire deputies who are investigators, assistants, and he can hire doctors to conduct autopsies if they are necessary. For more on the office, and to see how the incumbent being both the Coroner and the doctor creates a conflict of interest, click [here].
Here are the qualifications, as set forth by law, for the office of Coroner in Colorado:
§ 30-10-601.5. Qualifications--fingerprints
(1) A person is eligible to hold the office of coroner if the person:
(a) Is a citizen of the United States and a resident of the state of Colorado and of the county in which the person will hold the office of coroner;
(b) Has earned a high school diploma or its equivalent or a college degree; and
(c) Has given a set of fingerprints in accordance with subsection (2) of this section.
Truth – Jay Ledbetter also has medical training, and coroner-specific training.
When in the Army, Jay’s unit was not assigned a medic at all times. Jay self-trained in combat medicine, and carried a copy of the SF medical manual. Jay assembled a medical kit, and carried it with him on deployments. Jay’s men called him “Doc”, because he treated so many of their injuries.
Jay has also taken Coroner-specific training from the Colorado Coroner’s Association, to make him even more qualified. To see his certificate, click [here].
Truth – The Coroner is also a Peace Officer
The position of Coroner is a law-enforcement position as well. The law provides:
§ 16-2.5-104. Coroner
A coroner is a peace officer while engaged in the performance of his or her duties…
Jay Ledbetter has been an Assistant DA. Jay Ledbetter is the most qualified to undertake the duties of being a peace officer as well as a coroner.
QUESTION:
Who can most likely perform the complex duties of managing a Coroner’s office, carrying out law enforcement duties, and doing so with a lean budget?
Choice A – A businessman, and attorney, who has extensive experience in investigation of legal matters, who has been a prosecutor (handling cases from traffic tickets to murder cases), and who has run businesses
Choice B – a 17-year incumbent who has no management or law enforcement background, and who has made the Coroner’s office his own personal “money machine”.
