Vanessa Bryant is being accused by the county of Los Angeles of being on a fishing expedition in the lawsuit against the county over the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site photos. Vanessa sued first responders who shared the photos of the victims in the crash and posted four of their names on Instagram in March. The helicopter crash took the life of Kobe Bryant, their 13-year old daughter Gianna and seven other people.
In response to the lawsuit filed by Bryant, the county is fighting back in a new court filing, saying that she is going too far with a “scorched earth” search for information. “This straightforward case, with undisputed facts, has turned into a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their jobs — and subjecting them to public harassment and threats,” said a filing submitted in federal court this week by attorneys for the county, per USA Today. “Defendants are eager to have their day in Court and put an end to this.”
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Vanessa is asking the county to extend the cutoff date for the discovery of evidence in the case, which allows her more time to gather information and witness depositions. She wants the deadline moved from August to February. The county said “only government personnel and one friend saw the photographs in question” and there is no need for an extension.
“Plaintiff has dedicated countless hours to meaningless discovery disputes and posting recklessly about the Defendants on social media—all while taking the position that her 50 depositions cannot begin until she has every single document in the County’s possession,” the county’s filing stated. “That is not diligence. There is no basis for modifying the scheduling order.”
Vanessa filed the lawsuit last year but amended it in March to include the name of four sheriff’s deputies she accuses of sharing the photos, including one who allegedly shared the photos at a bar two days after the accident.
On the morning of the crash, Sheriff Alex Villanueva spoke to Vanessa, and she asked the site be secured for privacy. Villanueva told reporters only the county coroner’s office and investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board were permitted to photograph the crash site. Vanessa learned about the photos one month after the crash.
