Injured? Dial #WIN or #946 from your cellphone for your free consultation or call 1-800-LAW-NEED.
Call Us 24/7
1-800-LAW-NEED
( 1-800-529-6333 )
Click to Call 24/7

California Enacts Law Preventing Unauthorized Photos at Crime and Accident Scenes


October 01, 2020

SACRAMENTO, CA- California entered a new law this week in response to the crash that killed Kobe Bryant earlier this year, stating that first responders will no longer be able to taken unauthorized photos of deceased persons at crime or accident scenes. In January of 2020, Kobe Bryant and eight other individuals died in a tragic helicopter crash. First responders who arrived on the scene took photos of the victims.*

Those photos, which included graphic images of Bryant, his daughter, and the other victims, are surfacing and being shared. Reports indicate eight of the responding deputies had the photos on their devices, and upon learning of the images, the Sheriff directed the responders to delete those photos. While the Department already had a policy that prevented officers from photographing crime scenes, that policy did not prevent such photos from being taken at the scenes of accidents.

The law takes effect early in 2021, and anyone violating that law will face significant fines for each offense. 

Kobe Bryant's widow filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff's Office regarding the photographs. The lawsuit alleges that at least eight deputies took photos for their own "gratification" and not for official purposes. Based on the complaint, one of the deputies even showed the horrific crash photos at a bar. Reports state that the deputies were told they would not face disciplinary action if they simply deleted the photos from their devices. According to some legal experts, the move to delete the photos could be viewed as the destruction of evidence. It is possible that some of the photos made their way onto the internet. The Sheriff claimed that the Department properly handled the incident considering the taking of the photographs was not a criminal act at the time. 

Put Our Law Firm's Legal Experience To Work For You! We Know What It Takes To Win!™

While we hope you are safe and never need our services, we are here to help you if you are involved in any type of accident or just have a question.  Call Montlick & Associates, Injury Attorneys, for your free consultation today. Our law firm has been representing those who suffer serious injuries for over 39 years and our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars for our clients. We Know What It Takes To Win!™  Please visit our read Montlick & Associates reviews to see what our clients have to say about our commitment to exceptional service.

No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us nationwide 24 hours day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or simply dial #WIN (#946) from your mobile phone. You can also visit us online at Montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or Free 24-hour live chat.

Sources:

https://yourvalley.net/stories/new-california-law-prompted-by-crash-that-killed-kobe-bryant,190987

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-22/vanessa-bryant-sues-los-angeles-county-sheriff-over-kobe-bryant-crash-photos

* Disclaimer / Questions / Concerns

Category: Accident News

Please Note:
All information provided by our blogs is general in nature and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Consult a Montlick attorney for details about your unique situation.