When six or more prospective jurors of inquest attend, they shall be sworn by the coroner to inquire who the person was, and when, where, and by what means the person came to his or her death, to inquire into the circumstances attending the death, and to render a true verdict thereon, according to the evidence offered them or arising from the inspection of the body.
§ 236.Jury of inquest; Purpose
Title 3. Persons Specially Invested With Powers of a Judicial Nature · Chapter 1. Trial Jury Selection and Management Act · Enacted 1988 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 236 states the purpose of a jury of inquest, the investigative body historically used to help an officer such as a sheriff or coroner inquire into particular facts, distinct from a trial jury’s role in deciding a case.
Full Text of § 236
Plain-English Summary
Section 236 explains what a jury of inquest is for, completing the pair of sections, alongside § 235, that address this older category of jury within the chapter’s three-way classification in § 193.
A jury of inquest historically serves an investigative function, helping an officer like a sheriff or coroner inquire into particular facts, distinct from the adjudicative role a trial jury plays in deciding a civil or criminal case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What purpose does a jury of inquest serve?
Section 236 states the purpose of this category of jury, which § 193 defines as historically inquiring into particular facts before a sheriff, coroner, or similar officer.
Is a jury of inquest the same as a trial jury?
No. It is a distinct category under § 193, serving an investigative rather than an adjudicative function.
Does a jury of inquest decide civil or criminal liability?
No. Section 236 frames its purpose as investigative, inquiring into particular facts, rather than adjudicating a civil or criminal case the way a trial jury does.
Amendment History
Added Stats 1988 ch 1245 § 2.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: purpose of jury of inquest californiacoroner inquest jury purposecalifornia jury of inquest functionwhat does a jury of inquest do