Q: I don't know what kind of lawyer I need to get a suicide note unsealed in Mt. Airy Maryland? Please help
Person hanged himself on January 6th and it was determined be a suicide by the coroner. Law enforcement said they seal suicide notes after investigation and that I would need a lawyer to get it unsealed?!
A: Suicide is deemed a criminal offense; therefore, the suicide note is direct evidence in a criminal investgation. Items of evidence in police criminal files are not public records and cannot ordinarily be released, but when they can be released following the closure of the criminal proceedings or investigation, only the rightful owner is entitled to receive the evidence. As far as petitioning a court to order the note released to the family, I imagine the best person to make such a request would be the Personal Representative (also known as the executor) of the deceased person's estate. The note would have belonged to the deceased, and therefore is now an estate "asset." Only the PR of the estate has the right to take possession of the deceased's assets and then distribute those assets to the persons named in the decedent's will, or if no will, to the heirs at law.
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