Morris

Plaintiff appeals from the trial court’s refusal to issue a peremptory writ of mandate, sought to compel the Los Angeles County Coroner to change the cause-of-death provision on a death certificate. We affirm.

On June 17, 1980, plaintiff’s husband was killed during a struggle with officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. An autopsy was performed by the Los Angeles County Coroner on June 20, and on August 12, 1980, an autopsy report was issued by the coroner which concluded that the cause of decedent’s death was “Cardiac arrest during physical altercation due to or as a consequence of arteriosclerotic heart disease and blunt force injuries to the neck and soft tissues.”

From October 21 to October 23, 1980, a jury inquest was held at the request of the Los Angeles County Coroner. At the conclusion of the inquest, the jury found that death was caused by “Strangulation ... at the hands of another person, other than by accident.”

On November 7, 1980, the county coroner signed decedent’s death certificate, showing that death was caused by “Cardiac arrest...” etc., pursuant to the coroner’s report.

Decedent’s widow filed a petition for writ of mandate in the superior…