The State Of South Carolina Office Of The Attorney General
Dear Coroner Watts:
You seek an opinion regarding a new statute recently enacted, S. C. Code Ann. Sec. 17-5-53 5. This new law makes autopsy photographs or videos confidential and provides criminal penalties for violation thereof. Both you, as well as the Coroners' Association, "agree with keeping videos and photographs out of the hands of the general public." However, you also are of the opinion that "photographs and/or videos are an intricate part of our continuing education and are often used in training sessions and seminars." You request "a written ... opinion that clears us to use photographs and/or videos in appropriate training circumstances."