Vanessa Bryant Wins Ruling Against Los Angeles County Sheriff And Fire Chief
The widow of the late Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant has won another legal battle in her lawsuit against Los Angeles County, with a court order that urges the county sheriff and fire chief to answer all questions under oath about the photos of her deceased husband and daughter.
Bryant is suing the county for invasion of privacy and negligence, stating that county sheriff’s and fire department workers improperly revealed photos of human remains from a helicopter crash that killed the NBA legend, their daughter and seven others in January 2020.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Eick ruled that both Sheriff Villanueva and Fire Chief Osby seem to have “unique firsthand, non-repetitive knowledge relevant to the issues in this case” that is “not entirely obtainable” through other sources.
The ruling makes a setback for the county, which sought to block their testimony, asserting that heads of government agencies such as Villanueva and Osby “are not normally subject to deposition, absent extraordinary circumstances.”
The county also stated this rule conserves officials “from the discovery that will burden the performance of their duties, particularly given the frequency with which such officials are likely to be named in lawsuits.”
An attorney defending the county spoke out after the judge ruling Tuesday by stating, “While we disagree with the court’s decision, we will make both the Sheriff and Fire Chief available for deposition,” said the statement from Skip Miller, partner of the Miller Barondess law firm in Los Angeles. “Their testimony will not change the fact that there is no evidence any photos taken by County first responders have ever been publicly disseminated.”