Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant's widow has been awarded $16 million after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed the ...

A federal jury has found that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant's widow $16m for emotional distress caused by emergency service workers taking and ...

Vanessa Bryant finally got the accountability she wanted from Los Angeles County in trial over Kobe crash photos.

The plaintiffs argued the county failed to prevent such violations by not having adequate policies and training in place for its employees. Mira Hashmall, the county’s lead outside counsel, issued a statement after the verdict. Chester was awarded the same except $1 million less from the sheriff’s department for past emotional distress. Bryant pressed her case to trial to get “accountability” from the county defendants, even though she could have settled the case and avoided a grueling trial. This made for a mismatch of sorts since the start of the trial Aug. Jurors were told they could presume the deleted evidence would have been unfavorable against the county, which also came with the strong smell of a consciousness of guilt. the County of San Diego. The jury awarded a total of $31 million to the two plaintiffs, including $15 million for Chester. Surveillance video from the restaurant shows the two looking at Cruz’s phone that night and laughing afterward. Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, also felt compelled to stay out of the courtroom at times to avoid hearing graphic testimony about what happened to the bodies of her husband and daughter Gianna after they died in a helicopter crash in January 2020. She’s a celebrity and highly sympathetic figure as a widow of a beloved Los Angeles sports icon. The award has nothing to do with the crash itself.

Los Angeles County must pay $31 million in damages to Kobe Bryant's widow and a co-plaintiff over graphic photos taken at the site of the helicopter crash ...

“This is a photo case, but there are no photos,” she told jurors earlier. “We’re here because of intentional conduct. JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!”

Los Angeles County told to pay $31 million in total after first responders shared pictures of 2020 helicopter crash.

She said her privacy was violated and that she [suffered emotional distress](https://www.wsj.com/articles/vanessa-bryant-must-provide-therapy-records-in-lawsuit-over-kobe-bryant-crash-site-photos-judge-rules-11637088298?mod=article_inline). [died in a helicopter crash](https://www.wsj.com/articles/nba-legend-kobe-bryant-dies-in-helicopter-crash-11580070825?mod=article_inline) on Jan. [Save up to 30% + free shipping with Dell coupons](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/dell) [30% off smartphones + free shipping - Samsung promo code](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/samsung) [Labor Day Event - $305 off all GoPro cameras](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/gopro) [Free shipping with this SHEIN coupon](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/shein)

A group of nine federal jurors began deliberating Wednesday in the civil case over graphic photos taken at the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe ...

In their rebuttal, Bryant's attorneys argued the photos could still exist because one of the deputies AirDropped them to a firefighter that hasn't been identified. Referring to testimony given by veteran law enforcement officials including Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Li reminded the jury of a practice of first responders keeping "death books" since the Polaroid was around. "Does it shock the conscience that he needed to talk?" Li was emotional as he said: "But for those people, we may never have heard of this." The rebuttal evoked tears from Vanessa Bryant and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka in the courtroom. "That's not a constitutional issue, that's a county issue," she said. Jurors also will have to wrestle with what constitutes "the public" in this case. One of the deputies shared photos containing human remains with another deputy as they were playing the video game "Call of Duty," and another showed them to a bartender he considered a friend. Los Angeles County, though, has argued that it acted appropriately to investigate and delete the photos and prevent them from ever spreading. Their attorneys asked the jury for damages of up to $42.5 million for Bryant and $32.5 million for Chester. She also noted that the deputy was disciplined for his actions. The misdemeanor crime is punishable by up to $1,000 per violation.

Vanessa Bryant alleged invasion of privacy after first responders shared images of the helicopter crash.

She and her attorney declined to speak to reporters as they left the courthouse. Kobe Bryant was 41 when he died. The county already agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a similar case brought by families of others who died in the crash.

Vanessa Bryant sued Los Angeles County, alleging first responders took cell phone pictures of human remains at the 2020 crash site for their own amusement ...

"I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up," she testified. The pictures were shared mostly between employees of the LA County sheriff’s and fire departments, including by some employees who were playing video games, and others attending an awards banquet. "All for you!" “I expected them to have more compassion — respect,” Bryant testified. “We’re not here because of an accident,” Bryant’s attorney Craig Lavoie told jurors during his closing arguments Tuesday, on what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday. “We’re here because of intentional conduct.

NPR's A Martinez talks to Los Angeles Times reporter Alene Tchekmedyian about the verdict in the trial over the sharing of photos of the helicopter crash ...

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