A judge in Florida on Wednesday agreed with a request from the family of actor and comedian Bob Saget and temporarily blocked the release of any photos, video or other records related to the investigation into his death.
Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters filed a lawsuit in Orlando, Florida, on Tuesday, asking the state judge for a ruling that would prohibit the release of any records from the local medical examiner’s office and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office involving the probe into Saget’s death.
Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu issued the temporary injunction, saying that Saget’s family would suffer “severe mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress” if the request wasn’t granted. He said the injunction was in the public interest as he decides whether the family’s privacy concerns outweigh any claims for the records to be released.
Saget, 65, was found dead on January 9 in a room at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando. He had performed in the area the night before, as part of a stand-up tour.
The medical examiner said last week that Saget had died from an accidental blow to the head, likely from a backwards fall. An autopsy report showed that Saget had an abrasion on his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around his eye sockets, bleeding between the brain and tissue covering the brain as well as bruises to the brain. A toxicology analysis didn’t show any illicit drugs or toxins in Saget’s body.
During the course of the autopsy and death investigation, the medical examiner’s office and sheriff’s office created graphic videos and photos of Saget’s body, as well as audio recordings. Such records are prohibited by state law from being released publicly, but some media outlets have already filed requests for them, according to the family’s lawsuit.
“Plaintiffs will suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress if Defendants release the Records in response to public records requests or otherwise disseminate the records for any other reason or purpose,” their complaint said.
Under a Florida law passed following the death of Nascar star Dale Earnhardt two decades ago, records related to autopsies are required to be kept confidential, with only surviving family members or a government agency as part of its official duties allowed to view them.
However, “upon a showing of good cause,” a court can allow the records to be viewed or copied under the supervision of the records’ custodian. In allowing the records to be viewed, a judge must consider whether it’s necessary to evaluate governmental performance and the seriousness of the intrusion into the family’s privacy, among other criteria, according to the law.
“No legitimate public interest would be served by the release or dissemination of the records to the public,” said the lawsuit by Saget’s family.
Saget was best known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom Full House and as the wisecracking host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. He was buried in Los Angeles.
- Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
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5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
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11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
