Also the discovery of weaknesses in two other computer systems in which more sensitive records were stored. At least a half-dozen coroners staff members were among those who inappropriately accessed Jacksons death certificate, officials said today. Within two weeks of his death, the certificate had been viewed more than 300 times.
In some cases, staff members appear to have printed copies before it became a public record. Earlier this month, coroners officials warned employees to cease, cautioning that they had previously been admonished about the security hold on the Jackson case.
“There's only one person in the investigation of Mr. Jackson who needed to have a copy of the death certificate, and that was the investigator," said Craig Harvey, chief coroner investigator.
Harvey called any access of the Electronic Death Registration System for personal use not appropriate.
In a July 9 e-mail reviewed by The Times, a coroners captain told staff that future abuses of the system would result in disciplinary action. Staff members who had printed a copy of the death certificate were advised to destroy it.
Harvey said he learned that coroners employees were inappropriately accessing Jacksons death certificate after he received a tip alleging that a funeral home employee created a fake death certificate for Jackson in the computer system.
Harvey did not uncover any fraudulent death certificate, but did discover the names of coroner's employees who had looked at the record even though they had no role in the Jackson investigation.
He said he had not contacted any law enforcement agency about the actions, saying he believed that internal rules had been broken, not any laws.
