A federal jury was awarded $31 million in damages toward Vanessa Bryant after finding Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and fire departments guilty of sharing photos of the 2020 helicopter crash that left 9 people dead on Thursday, Aug. 25.
January 2020, on the way to a basketball game, Kobe Bryant an Gigi Bryant, along with others, died in a helicopter crash.
The jury made their decision based off the type of pictures the responders took.
The LA County deputies and firefighters not only took pictures of the helicopter crash, but also had took horrid, close-up pictures of the bodies that had been killed.
Bryants argument was that these photos of their loved ones had caused the family emotional agony and had invaded their privacy. She testified that even if the pictures were deleted, it still made them uncomfortable and unhappy.
The jury listened to 11 days worth of emotional testimonies.
One witness, a deputy, admitted to showing two people at a bar. Another deputy said that he had showed someone while playing video games. A different deputy said that he had Airdropped the pictures of the scene to an unidentified firefighter.
The jury found both the sheriff’s and fire departments did not have proper policies, which caused them to go against constitutional rights.
The jury found both departments guilty and read the verdict off.
Bryant hugged her attorneys. She then left without making a statement, but had later on posted an Instagram post that read: “All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!”
The other family that lost their loved ones also received money from this case.
Bryants attorney said that this case was always about accountability and now the jury had spoken.
Attorney Mira Hashmall released a statement that explained that the Bryants did disagree with the jurors finding as to the County’s liability, but they will discuss the next steps with Bryant. She explained that all she wanted right now was for the Bryant family to heal from their tragic loss.
To honor Kobe there is now a “Kobe Bryant day”, on August 24. The Lakers have also now retired the numbers 8 and 24 to honor Kobe and Gigi.