New Opinion on What Coroners Say Publicly

  COLUMBIA, SC (AP)– Toxicology reports from autopsies are medical records that cannot be released to the public, but coroners may talk publicly about the results of blood screenings for alcohol and drugs without violating federal health privacy law, according to an opinion released by the state Attorney General’s Office.  The opinion was requested by Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger as he investigated the deaths of four USC Upstate students in an Oct. 11 car crash near campus. Clevenger usually releases toxicology reports in cases with a lot of public interest, but some family members of the students objected to him releasing the results.