Jury for a Coroner's Inquest

Monroe County on Tuesday picked a jury for its first coroner's inquest in 30 years, according to County Coroner Bob Allen, at the county courthouse in Stroudsburg.

Six regular and two alternate jurors were picked from a pool of more than 20 residents to hear and rule on suspicious circumstances surrounding the Dec. 27 death of William Collins, 92, who lived with his caregiver in A Pocono Country Place, Coolbaugh Township. The jury of six men and two women in mid-April will hear witness testimony and see visual evidence presented.

The jury will then deliberate to give an unbiased opinion as to Collins' cause and manner of death and, if it's believed to be a homicide, who likely committed that homicide. The jury's opinion must be unanimous.

The Coroner's Office in more normal situations determines cause and manner of death. For example, "cause" would be listed as "gunshot wound" and "manner" as "homicide" or "suicide" on the death certificate.

http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20150303/NEWS/150309837/0/SEARCH

It is indeed rare, especially in Monroe County, to request a Coroner's Inquest to determine whether criminal charges should be filed, but it does occasionally happen.