Riverside Contracts with New Forensic Pathologist

Riverside County has approved a $1.3 million contract with Dr. Richard Cheng-Wu Ou of Rancho Palos Verdes to provide independent forensic pathology services over the next five years. The vote by county supervisors was 5-0. 

The contract expires June 30, 2028. Ou's estimated base pay comes out to $260,000 per year.

“With only 500 board-certified forensic pathologists in the nation, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department is fortunate to have a local doctor willing to ... provide his or her services to assist in meeting the Riverside County's needs,'' the sheriff’s department said.

The county’s coroner bureau performed 3,285 forensic examinations in 2022. The county currently has one chief pathologist, two full-time doctors for autopsies and four contract pathologists who also provide services for other counties. 

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