Board names Chisley interim county coroner|[7/26/06]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Deputy Coroner Larry Chisley was named coroner by Warren County supervisors Tuesday and will fill the post until a special election Nov. 7.
The elected position was left vacant by the death Saturday of John Thomason III in a car accident on U.S. 61 South.
Appearing before the board during a brief informal meeting Tuesday, Chisley said he was undecided on running for the office on a full-time basis.
“Everything has been so sudden,” he said.
Chisley declined an offer by the board to name a deputy coroner at this time.
Supervisors followed state law in requiring election commissioners to command an election in the event of a vacancy. Election laws say a special election to fill an elected post can be called if the vacancy occurs and the board acts more than 90 days before a statutory election day. The board had two weeks to name an interim coroner, as 104 days remain until the Nov. 7 general election.
Chisley, 54, owner and operator of Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home, had served as deputy coroner since 2000 upon his appointment by Thomason.
Chisley holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge and did graduate work at Jackson State University.
Coroners are paid $750 per month and $85 per inquest. They are called to the scenes of deaths that result from trauma or any death that occurs when a person is not actively cared for by a physician. They investigate and issue rulings on the cause and manner of death.
The race for coroner will appear on the ballot alongside judicial races, most notably the 9th Circuit Court race between incumbent Judge Frank Vollor and Assistant District Attorney John Bullard.
Also on the ballot: