1. In order to obtain a protocol for a current death, phone the Records Department of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office (666-0500) for the autopsy number. In order to get this information in the case of a homicide, you will need the name of the victim and the time of the homicide/date victim was brought in to the Medical Examiner's Office. Other useful information is the victim's date of birth and social security number together with the police report number. If you need the protocol of an older case, you will need the date of the pronouncement of death as well.

2. Fill in the subpoena similar to the sample shown below.

3. Serve the Subpoena on:

     Dr. Robert J. Stein, M.D., Director
     Cook County Medical Examiner's Office
     2121 West Harrison
     Chicago, Illinois 60612

You can serve the subpoena by mail, but it is better if you do it in person. The rationale behind serving the subpoena in person is that you can make direct arrangements with the Records Department to pick up the materials when they are ready. Otherwise, you must make more phone calls, e.g., to see if they received the subpoena, to find out when the materials will be ready, to see if you can pick them up, etc., in order accomplish the same objective.

4. On the day the protocol is supposed to be ready, phone ahead to see if it is still permissible for you to pick the records up.

5. If you don't make arrangements to pick up the materials, they will be delivered to the appropriate court by the date on the subpoena.
 

 WE COMMAND THAT YOU SUMMON....Dr........Robert..J...Stein,..M.D.,..Director,..........................................

Cook..County....Medical..Examiner's office.,..2121...West..Harrison,..Chicago,..Illinois...60612.......................

..................................Attention:...Records...Department..........................................................................................................

to appear to testify before the Honorable .......................Judge's Name.......................................................................

                                                                                                                      Branch No.                 Or Address Of
on...........Next Hearing Date.................................... 19................. in Room...No.....Circuit Court of 26^th Street and
  Other Branch Court
California Avenue, Chicago,..Illinois at .........Time.........m.

      YOU ARE COMMANDED ALSO to bring the following:

any and all pathological report (s), notes or memoranda, anatomical drawings, photographs, dictation tape records (written, printed, or otherwise recorded), slides results of the toxicology analysis concerning your department's examination of the following:  Name of Decedent, His D.O.B., Social Security Number, Police Report Number, recorded under Autopsy No .    (Autopsy Number,  Photocopies,  and Copies of  Originals Will Suffice.)

in your possession or control.    IN LIEU OF COURT APPEARANCE.

YOUR FAILURE TO APPEAR IN RESPONSE TO THIS SUBPOENA WILL SUBJECT YOU TO PUNISHMENT FOR CONTEMPT OF THIS COURT.