§ 152-1. Election; vacancies in office; appointment by clerk in special cases.
Chapter 152.
Coroners.
§ 152‑1. Election; vacancies in office;appointment by clerk in special cases.
In each county a coroner shall be elected by the qualified votersthereof in the same manner and at the same time as the election of members ofthe General Assembly, and shall hold office for a term of four years, or untilhis successor is elected and qualified.
A vacancy in the office of coroner shall be filled by the countycommissioners, and the person so appointed shall, upon qualification, hold officeuntil his successor is elected and qualified. If the coroner were elected asthe nominee of a political party, then the county commissioners shall consultwith the county executive committee of that political party before filling thevacancy, and shall appoint the person recommended by that committee if theparty makes a recommendation within 30 days of the occurrence of the vacancy;this sentence shall apply only to the counties of Alamance, Alleghany, Avery,Beaufort, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay,Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Graham, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, New Hanover, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham,Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Transylvania, Wake, and Yancey.
When the coroner shall be out of the county, or shall for any reason beunable to hold the necessary inquest as provided by law, or there is a vacancyexisting in the office of coroner which has not been filled by the countycommissioners and it is made to appear to the clerk of the superior court bysatisfactory evidence that a deceased person whose body has been found withinthe county probably came to his death by the criminal act or default of someperson, it is the duty of the clerk to appoint some suitable person to act ascoroner in such special case. (Const., art. 4, s. 24; 1903, c. 661; Rev., ss. 1047, 1049; C.S., ss.1014, 1018; Ex. Sess. 1924, c. 65; 1935, c. 376; 1981, c. 504, s. 8; c. 763, s.5; c. 830.)