Earnhardt v. Orlando Sentinal

Mar 01, 2002

OUTCOME:

Classic privacy dispute between widow of famous race car driver who wished to prevent publication of his autopsy photographs, and newspaper that desired to publish photographs as consisting of a public ... record on file at the local medical examiner's office. The matter was settled on basis of my appointment of a neutral physician/biomechanical engineer PhD. who would examine the photographs in private, and then comment publicly as to whether they shed light on the safety issues raised in the wake of Earnhardt's deadly crash. Accordingly, the estate's privacy was preserved, and the public, albeit indirectly, was given access to the photographs for scientific purposes.