Interviews start for S.J.’s first medical examiner

STOCKTON — San Joaquin County supervisors conducted a closed-session job interview Tuesday afternoon with an unknown candidate for the newly created medical examiner position, County Administrator Monica Nino confirmed.

Nino also said interviews with more candidates are being arranged.

“I want to make sure the board picks the best person for the position,” Nino said, adding that it’s possible the county’s first leader of its new Office of the Medical Examiner will be hired as soon as late January.

It is unknown if Dr. Bennet Omalu, a former county forensic pathologist, is a candidate for the position. Omalu, best known for his groundbreaking work studying the injured brains of deceased NFL players, declined comment, as did Nino.

Incoming Sheriff Pat Withrow said Tuesday that Omalu had a lengthy interview for the position. But Withrow added he is “very sad” because he does not believe Omalu is a candidate for the job.

Supervisors voted earlier this year to create the Office of the Medical Examiner to replace the county’s current system for investigating deaths. In the outgoing system, the sheriff also serves as the coroner, and is in charge of supervising the forensic pathologists.

The county’s previous staff pathologists, Omalu and Dr. Susan Parson, submitted their resignations a year ago, citing an inability to coexist with Sheriff-Coroner Steve Moore. The public divorce is a big part of the reason why Withrow thinks Omalu is not in the running.

“It does not appear that they are even considering him because of how they feel the whole situation went down with Bennet and Dr. Parson,” Withrow said.