Opinion Number

Dear Mr. Haney:

You have requested an opinion from this office concerning whether or not a Deputy Sheriff can also serve as Coroner of a parish.

Louisiana Constitution, Article 5, Section 29 provides that:

In each parish a coroner shall be elected for a term of four years. He shall be a licensed physician and possess the other qualifications and perform the duties provided by law. The requirement that he be a licensed physician shall be inapplicable in any parish in which no licensed physician will accept the office.

Initially, in order to be qualified to serve as Coroner, the individual at issue…