Skip to main content
Allegheny County Header
File #: 4963-09    Version: 1 Name: A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's primary laboratory facility shall henceforth be referred to as the "Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science."
Type: Resolution Status: Approved
File created: 7/1/2009 In control: Committee on Government Reform
On agenda: Final action: 9/8/2009
Title: A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's primary laboratory facility shall henceforth be referred to as the "Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science."
Sponsors: Rich Fitzgerald, Joan Cleary, Michael Finnerty, Nick Futules, Vince Gastgeb, Amanda Green Hawkins, Chuck McCullough, William Robinson, Jim Ellenbogen, Jan Rea, Chuck Martoni, John DeFazio, Bob Macey

title

A Resolution of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, establishing that the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's primary laboratory facility shall henceforth be referred to as the "Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science."

body

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Cyril H. Wecht was born March 20, 1931 in Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania, and received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952 and 1956, and his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law; and

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Wecht is a former Chairman of the Department of Pathology and President of the medical staff at St. Francis Central Hospital; and

                     WHEREAS, since 1962, Dr. Wecht has an established private practice, Cyril H. Wecht and Pathology Associates, and has served as a medical-legal and forensic pathology consultant in both civil and criminal cases; and.

                     WHEREAS, in 1965, Dr. Wecht served Allegheny County as Deputy Coroner, and subsequently was elected to the position of Coroner, filling this role for Allegheny County from 1970 to 1980, and again from 1996 to 2006; and

                     WHEREAS, as a medical expert, Wecht has personally performed over 14,000 autopsies and has supervised, reviewed or been consulted on approximately 30,000 additional post-mortem examinations; and

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Wecht has served as the president of both the American Academy of Forensic Science and the American College of Legal Medicine, as well as chairman of the boards of trustees of both the American Board of Legal Medicine and the American College of Legal Medicine Foundation; and

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Wecht is a clinical professor at the University of Pittsburgh schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine and Public Health, an adjunct professor at Duquesne University's schools of Law, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and a distinguished professor at Carlow University, as well as Chairman of the Advisory Board of The Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law, which he founded at the Duquesne University School of Law in 2000; and

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Wecht has organized and conducted postgraduate medical-legal seminars in more than fifty countries throughout the world; and

                     WHEREAS, Dr. Wecht is the author of more than 500 professional publications; an editorial board member of more than 20 national and international medical-legal and forensic scientific publications; and editor of 35 books; and

 

WHEREAS, the world-renowned Dr. Cyril H. Wecht brings much notoriety and pride to this region and should be recognized in a public manner;

 

The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.

 

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's primary laboratory facility shall henceforth be referred to as the "Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science" in honor of Dr. Wecht and in recognition of his impact upon criminal justice throughout the world.

 

Section 2.  Severability.

 

If any provision of this Resolution shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Resolution which shall be in full force and effect.

 

Section 3.  Repealer.

 

Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Resolution is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.

 

 

 

PRIMARY SPONSOR:  PRESIDENT FITZGERALD

 

CO-SPONSORS:  COUNCIL MEMBERS CLEARY, FINNERTY,FUTULES,                                                                                                           GASTGEB,GREEN, McCULLOUGH and ROBINSON and VICE                                                                                     PRESIDENT MARTONI