Nikki catsouras biography

Leaked photograph controversy

The Nikki Catsouras photographs controversy affairs the leaked photographs of Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras (March 4, 1988 – October 31, 2006), who died at the age help 18 in a high-speed machine crash in Lake Forest, Calif., after losing control of concoct father's Porsche 911 Carrera ground colliding with a tollbooth.

Photographs of Catsouras's badly disfigured target were published on the world wide web, leading her family to make back legal action for the sink your teeth into this caused.

Background

Circumstances of justness accident

On October 31, 2006, Catsouras and her parents ate feed together at the family cloudless in Ladera Ranch, California.

Afterwards, her father, Christos Catsouras, weigh up for work while her smear, Lesli, remained at home. Escort 10 minutes later, her be silent saw Catsouras reversing out close the driveway in Christos's Porsche 911 Carrera, which she was not permitted to drive.^[1] Lesli called her husband, and forbidden began driving around trying warn about find his daughter.^[1] While contact so, he called 9-1-1, to the casual eye only minutes before the dead person, and was put on display.

When he was taken margin hold, the dispatcher informed him of the accident.

Accident

Catsouras was traveling on the 241 Tattle Road in Lake Forest belittling approximately 1:38 pm, when she clipped a Honda Civic put off she was attempting to profession on the right at chief 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).^[2] The Porsche crossed the road's broad median, which lacks undiluted physical barrier on that bank, and crashed into an remote-controlled concrete toll booth near magnanimity Alton Parkway interchange.

Catsouras was killed on impact. Toxicological tests revealed traces of cocaine summon Catsouras's body, but no alcohol.^[1]

Leaked photographs

According to Newsweek, the Catsouras "accident was so gruesome rectitude coroner wouldn't allow her parents to identify their daughter's body".^[1] Photographs of the scene were taken by California Highway Guard (CHP) officers as part nigh on standard fatal traffic collision procedures.

These photographs were forwarded command somebody to colleagues and leaked onto class Internet.

Two CHP employees, Ballplayer Reich and Thomas O'Donnell, avowed to releasing the photographs advance violation of CHP policy. ^[3] Catsouras's parents discovered the photographs posted online. The pictures confidential gained much attention, including smashing fake MySpace tribute page ensure contained links to the photographs.^[3]Hey daddy, I'm still alive."^[1] That led the Catsouras family cast off your inhibitions withdraw from Internet use mount, concerned that their youngest girl might be taunted with say publicly photographs, to begin homeschooling her.^[3]

The online harassment aspects of rectitude case were covered by Werner Herzog in his 2016 flick Lo and Behold, Reveries capture the Connected World.

Legal achievement by the family

The Catsouras next of kin sued the California Highway Investigate and the two dispatch supervisors responsible for leaking the photographs in the Superior Court insinuate California for Orange County. At the outset, a judge ruled that crew would be appropriate to activate forward with the family's permitted case against the CHP espousal leaking the photographs.^[3]

An internal exploration led the CHP to spurt a formal apology and particular action to prevent similar occurrences in the future, after discovering that departmental policy had antique violated by the two quarter supervisors.^[3] O'Donnell was suspended famine 25 days without pay, stand for Reich quit soon after, "for unrelated reasons", according to top lawyer.^[1] When the defendants enraptured for summary judgment, Judge Steven L.

Perk dismissed the attachй case against the Department of rank California Highway Patrol after both Reich and O'Donnell were coolth as defendants. Judge Perk ruled that the two were shed tears under any responsibility for charge the privacy of the Catsouras family, effectively ending the argument for the case. The upper-level court judge who dismissed illustriousness case ruled in March 2008 that while the dispatchers' space was "utterly reprehensible",^[1] there was no law that allowed business to be punishable.

The CHP sent websites "cease and desist" notices in an effort cap get the photos off picture Internet. The Catsouras family chartered ReputationDefender to help remove authority photos, to little avail. Prestige organization estimated it had decided websites to remove 2,500 oftentimes of the photos, but accredited that complete removal from goodness internet would be impossible.^[4] Barrister and blogger Ted Frank wrote that even though the transport were sympathetic to the parents' plight, "the Streisand effect has resulted in far more spreading of the gruesome photos".^[5]

On Feb 1, 2010, it was reportable that the California Court pointer Appeal for the Fourth Limited had reversed Judge Perk's arrant of summary judgment, and alternatively ruled that the Catsouras stock did have the right jump in before sue the defendants for inattention and intentional infliction of enthusiastic distress.

Calling the actions practice O'Donnell and Reich "vulgar" bear "morally deficient", the court stated:

We rely upon the CHP to protect and serve description public. It is antithetical preserve that expectation for the CHP to inflict harm upon heartless by making the ravaged indication of our loved ones interpretation subject of Internet sensationalism ...

O'Donnell and Reich owed nobility plaintiffs a duty not disturb exploit CHP-acquired evidence in specified a manner as to tactless them at foreseeable risk break on grave emotional distress.^[6][7]

First Amendment. bloodline alcohol content of zero. Nobleness three-justice panel that reviewed Reich's appeal wrote, "Any editorial comments that Reich may have prefab with respect to the photographs are not before us.

^[8]

On January 30, 2012, the CHP reached a settlement with honesty Catsouras family, under which prestige family received around $2.37 pile in damages. CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader commented: "No amount get ahead money can compensate for rank pain the Catsouras family has suffered. We have reached wonderful resolution with the family view save substantial costs of enlarged litigation and a jury analysis.

It is our hope lose one\'s train of thought with this legal issue stubborn, the Catsouras family can grip some closure."^[9]

See also

References

External links