January 28, 2021
ADMISSIBILITY OF THE EVIDENCE OFFERED AND WILL UTILIZE STANDARD AND 1
HISTORICAL RULES OF ADMISSIBILITY IN MAKING THAT DETERMINATION. HOWEVER, 2
IT IS MY INTENTION TO RECEIVE REASONABLY AVAILABLE RELEVANT EVIDENCE FROM 3
RECIPIENT WITNESSES WHO WERE AT THE SCENE OF THE INCIDENT IMMEDIATELY 4
BEFORE, DURING, OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENTS. I WILL ALSO RECEIVE 5
PATHOLOGY EVIDENCE REGARDING THE DECEASED. AFTER HEARING ALL THE EVIDENCE, 6
I WILL TAKE A RECESS OR ADJOURN AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO REVIEW THE EVIDENCE 7
AND TO MAKE A DECISION. MY TASK IS TO DETERMINE WHICH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 8
FOUR POTENTIAL MODES OF DEATH APPLIED TO THE DEATH OF MR. WILLIAMS. I'M 9
REQUIRED TO RENDER A DECISION SETTING FORTH: ONE, THE NAME. DECEASED; TWO, 10
THE TIME AND PLACE OF DEATH; THREE, THE MEDICAL CAUSE OF DEATH AND, FOUR, 11
WHETHER THE DEATH WAS BY NATURAL CAUSES, SUICIDE, ACCIDENT, OR THE HANDS 12
OF ANOTHER PERSON OTHER THAN BY ACCIDENT. PER GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 27- 13
504. IN DETERMINING THE MANNER OF DEATH, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR POSSIBLE 14
MODES OF DEATH DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: ONE IS NATURAL CAUSES. FOR EXAMPLE, A 15
HEART ATTACK, STROKE, OLD AGE, ET CETERA. DEATH BY NATURAL CAUSES IS A 16
DEATH ARISING FROM AN ACT OF NATURE AS OPPOSED TO ONE THAT IS ARTIFICIALLY 17
INDUCED. TWO, ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE'S NO INTENT. THERE'S BEEN AN 18
ACCIDENT. A CAR CRASH, SOMETHING SIMILAR. DEATH BY ACCIDENT CAN REFER TO A 19
VARIETY OF UNFORESEEN OR UNINTENTIONAL EVENTS. SOME OF THOSE INVOLVE 20
NATURAL PHENOMENA SUCH AS DEATH BY FIRE, FLOOD, OR EARTHQUAKE, IN WHICH 21
CASE NO HUMAN AGENCY INVOLVED. ANOTHER TYPE OF ACCIDENT IS THAT THAT 22
RESULTS FROM HUMAN ACTS OR CONDUCT. DEATH BY ACCIDENT WHERE A HUMAN AGENCY 23
IS INVOLVED IS BEST DEFINED AS THE UNINTENDED OR UNEXPECTED RESULT OF 24
HUMAN CONDUCT. THE TERM "ACCIDENT" AS IT APPLIES TO THESE PROCEEDINGS IS 25
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