Have you watched “Crossing Jordan” or “Quincy, M.E.” and wondered what life is really like in the world of the Medical Examiner? This month, you’ll have your chance to ask questions. Our speaker is Claudine Ratcliffe, Chief Investigator for Santa Clara County. She will give an overview of the duties of the Coroner’s office, talk about differences between the Los Angeles County and the Santa Clara County offices, and discuss a few of the high profile cases she investigated in Los Angeles (O.J. Simpson, for instance).

Claudine Ratcliffe attended San Mateo High School and then went to Cal State Long Beach. After obtaining a B.S in Microbiology, she worked first as a microbiology technologist. Next, she worked as a Los Angeles County Public Health Investigator, and then, in 1987, she became a Coroner Investigator for L.A County. In 1998, she accepted her present position as Chief Investigator for Santa Clara County Department of the Medical Examiner.