Could Coweta County soon have

its own Quincy?

While it's not likely

Jack Klugman will apply for the job, the county could soon have the capability

to hire a medical examiner.

The county voted unanimously

Tuesday to draft a resolution calling for local legislation to create

the medical examiner's position.

"We're not trying

to do away with anyone's job. We're at 100,000 population, and

the need is there," said Commission Chairman Vernon "Mutt"

Hunter.

Currently, the county has a

coroner that handles all suspicious deaths in the county. Wimp Pierce

is the county's coroner.

When they passed the motion,

Hunter stressed the medical examiner's office would be in place when

the county could afford it.

The county currently ships

all bodies that could have been the victim of foul play to the state crime

lab. Sheriff Mike Yeager said the county does not have to pay examination

costs, but does have to pay for transporting the body to the crime lab.

The biggest difference between

a coroner and a medical examiner is that a medical examiner is a medical

doctor, and having one on hand could help speed up criminal investigations,

Yeager said.

The county will also seek local

legislation seeking the creation of a second state judge. The new judge

would be elected in 2006 for a four year term. The county's current

state court judge, John Herbert Cranford, will be up for reelection this

year.