Vanessa Bryant could get the names of four Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies who, according to her lawyers, shared in a lawsuit ‘unauthorized’ photos of the site of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, their daughter and seven others , a federal judge ruled. Monday.
U.S. District Judge John F. Walter rejected an attempt by Los Angeles County attorneys to keep the names of the delegates under the seal. They argued that disclosing the names would make the address and other personal information of the deputies just a click away on the internet and that hackers could target it. The ruling means Vanessa Bryant’s lawyers can add the delegates’ names and details from the Home Office investigation into their conduct to an amended charge in her lawsuit against the country and the sheriff led by Alex Villanueva.
The judge wrote that ‘Promise of Sheriff Villanueva to [internal affairs bureau] report after the investigation undermines the alleged concern of the accused in disclosing the limited extracts in question here. Local court rulings give the province four days to appeal.
Walter noted that “there is a strong suspicion of access as a point of departure” and the country did not show compelling reasons to do otherwise. Bryant’s attorneys blacked out the delegates’ names in their submission, pending the court’s decision on whether to seal the complaint.
Luis Li, a lawyer for Vanessa Bryant, said “transparency promotes accountability. We look forward to seeing Mrs. Bryant’s case in open court. ”
In the ruling, Walter finds that allegations of misconduct by police officers should not be hidden from the public eye. “Indeed, where the case involves allegations of misconduct by the police, the public has an interest in properly assessing the truth of the allegations of official misconduct, and whether agencies responsible for investigating and assessing complaints of misconduct and acted wisely, “he wrote. .
He rejected the provincial arguments at length. “Although the court acknowledges that this case has been brought to the attention of the public and in the media, and that the deputy defendants are legally concerned that they will experience attacks on vitriols and social media, such concerns are not in themselves sufficient to to weigh strong strength of the public. interest in access. ”
The judge noted that an argument by the province that by identifying the deputies they could be targeted by hackers looking for the photos of the tragic scene makes no sense. “In addition, the concern of the accused that hackers are trying to gain access to the devices of the individual delegates and gain access to locate and publish photos, is completely contrary to their view that such photos no longer exist. . ”
The case claims damages for negligence and invasion of privacy, claiming that delegates and firefighters took and shared photos of the children, parents and coaches who died in the crash on January 26, 2020. The amended complaint filed last month provided new details about their alleged behavior in sharing photos of the remains on the Calabasas crash.
Bryant’s lawyers noted that the case is being cited as a precedent by the province in its attempt to conceal its identity, involving the victims of sexual harassment. “Defendants are trying to equate the deputy defendants who shared photos of Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s remains with victims of sexual harassment and other abuse,” attorney Luis Li wrote in court documents.
In the case, it is alleged that a report from the Minister of the Interior found that one deputy took 25 to 100 photos at the scene and that photos were quickly distributed through text and telephone sharing technology during the next 48 hours under deputies who showed it to others. The province claims that all the photos have been removed.
Judge Walter ruled that Vanessa Bryant’s legal team could also quote from a report on internal affairs that the country had handed over to them. Walter writes, “Contrary to what the defendants claim otherwise, courts have acknowledged that victims, witnesses and other officers are more likely to participate in investigations or disciplinary proceedings if they believe their reports of misconduct will be thoroughly and fairly investigated.”
In the case, it is alleged that several deputies shared images of the crash site, as did several provincial firefighters who witnessed taking photos on personal phones. In the case, it is noted that a Los Angeles fire chief, who was a spokesman, said he received photos of several firefighters at the scene.
Bryant’s lawyers explained how some of the deputies got the photos. In the court documents, only one deputy is accused of taking photos. From the lawsuit, it is unclear whether it was his images that were repeatedly shared by others.
A Los Angeles Times Investigation in 2020 found that deputies shared photos of the crash site.