LA supervisors to weigh $2.5-million settlement for 2 families over sharing of Bryant crash photos

County Counsel Rodrigo Castro-Silva is urging Los Angeles County’s Supervisors to o.k. a $2.5-million colony for 2 families suing the region implicit the unauthorized sharing of photos of the Kobe Bryant chopper crash, successful which their loved ones besides were killed. The committee volition see the settlements astatine Tuesday’s meeting.

Under the projected settlement, presented to the committee successful a missive from Castro-Silva, Matthew Mauser would person $1.25 cardinal and siblings J.J. Altobelli and Alexis Altobelli would stock different $1.25 million.

Mauser’s wife, Christina, and the Altobellis’ mother, begetter and younger sister — Keri, John and Alyssa — died successful the Jan. 26, 2020, clang that besides killed Bryant and 4 others.

John Altobelli was the caput shot manager astatine Orange Coast College. Altobelli’s girl Alyssa was a subordinate connected Bryant’s hoops team, a teammate of his daughter, Gianna, who  was besides killed successful the clang adjacent Calabasas. Huntington Beach nonmigratory Christina Mauser was a hoops manager astatine Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy

The Altobellis and Matthew Mauser filed abstracted national lawsuits against the region alleging they suffered affectional distress aft it was revealed that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and Los Angeles County firefighters took and shared clang country photos for purposes extracurricular instrumentality enforcement.

“Given the risks and uncertainties of litigation, arsenic good arsenic the tragic mishap giving emergence to the lawsuits, just and tenable settlements astatine this clip volition debar further litigation costs; therefore, afloat and last settlements of the 2 cases are warranted,” Castro-Silva said successful his letter.

Castro-Silva said the region has already spent astir $1,292,592 successful fees and ineligible costs successful the 2 cases.

Bryant’s widow Vanessa sued Los Angeles County past year, alleging that she and her household suffered terrible affectional distress aft discovering that sheriff’s deputies snapped and shared gruesome photos of the chopper clang scene.

The ineligible combat intensified past week erstwhile region lawyers sought to person Bryant acquisition a psychiatric introspection successful beforehand of the proceedings scheduled for February 2022. Lawyers argued successful tribunal papers that she cannot person terrible distress from clang photos she and the nationalist person ne'er seen.

Bryant won a ineligible triumph this week erstwhile region Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby were ordered to beryllium deposed successful the case.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick wrote that the defendants successful the suit identified Villanueva and Osby arsenic “likely to person discoverable information” whom the defendants whitethorn usage to enactment their arguments successful the case.

The justice wrote that it appears that some Villanueva and Osby person “unique first-hand, non-repetitive knowledge” applicable to the issues successful the lawsuit and specified cognition is not wholly obtainable from different sources.

To minimize the effect the timing of the depositions mightiness person connected the show of the sheriff and occurrence chief’s authoritative duties, the justice ordered the depositions beryllium constricted to 4 hours each.

An lawyer defending the region said that though helium disagreed with the judge’s ruling, Villanueva and Osby would comply.

“While we disagree with the court’s decision, we volition marque some the sheriff and occurrence main disposable for deposition,” said the connection from lawyer Skip Miller. “Their grounds volition not alteration the information that determination is nary grounds immoderate photos taken by region archetypal responders person ever been publically disseminated.”

City News Service contributed to this report.