Digital imagery

Criminal charges against a Connecticut firefighter for violating an emergency scene photo-taking law, have been dismissed. Steven Frischling, the public information officer for the Chesterfield Fire Company, was charged in 2021 with violating Joshua’s Law.

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Los Angeles County has agreed to a final settlement with the family of Kobe Bryant over claims that emergency responders took and shared grisly photos from at the helicopter crash scene. The January 26, 2020 crash killed nine people including Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Caroline’s/Bianca's Law into law today, making it a criminal offense to disseminate images of the victim of a criminal offense. The law was enacted by the state legislature last June after more than a decade of lobbying.

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The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a Massachusetts fire chief did not discriminate against a firefighter by requiring him to pose in his Class A uniform for an identification photo. Thomas Swartz filed suit claiming he was wrongfully disciplined by the Bourne Fire Department in 2016, in violation of his religious rights.

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A San Francisco firefighter is facing a disciplinary investigation following a social media photo of him wearing a “Let’s Go Brandon” shirt while apparently engaged in fire department activities. The photo was posted on Twitter, and the poster tagged Mayor London Breed, a city supervisor, and the fire department, asking the question “is this the new official uniform for the SFFD?"

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup for August 29, 2022, Brad and Curt discuss a $31 Million verdict in the Kobe Bryant crash scene photo scandal in Los Angeles County; a ruling by the Wyoming Supreme Court upholding the ...

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The verdict is in and the incident scene photo-taking by Los Angeles County Sheriffs and firefighters at the scene of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash in 2020 will cost the taxpayers an additional $31 million. That figure is on top of $2.5 million in settlements already reached with the families who also sued.

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A Massachusetts firefighter has been charged with using a hidden camera to secretly record a female colleague in the firehouse. Nicholas Tillman is facing two charges, unlawful interception of a wire or oral communication (wiretap) and secret sexual surveillance.

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The State of New York is poised to adopt a new law that will make it a criminal offense to disseminate images of the victim of a criminal offense. The new law, referred to as the Grieving Families Act and/or Bianca and Caroline’s Law, is a new alternative to address an ongoing problem.

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A lawsuit filed against two Cicero Fire Department paramedics and a retired lieutenant for taking and sharing a photo of a victim who was shot at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, has been dismissed. The suit was brought by the family of Victor Cazares, who was shot and killed while trying to protect a local grocery store from rioters on June 1, 2020.

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A female firefighter who was secretly recorded by a voyeuristic colleague has filed suit against the fire department and the member. The lawsuit accuses former firefighter Patrick Nicholson, East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Jefferson County with violating the victim’s civil rights, wiretap violations, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and trespass.

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In this episode of Fire Law Roundup, Brad and Curt discuss a LODD apparatus accident case out of Texas, a reckless driving with an engine case from Virginia, a fire chief theft case out of Louisiana, sexual harassment cases from Texas and Virginia, and several more from beyond the blog.

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The US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a sexual harassment suit brought against the Houston Fire Department by a female firefighter. Melinda Abbt brought the action in 2019 after discovering that male firefighters obtained a nude video of her, and watched it multiple times over a period of years.

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A Florida firefighter is under investigation following a social media post showing him wearing blackface makeup at a recent Halloween party. Brevard County Fire Rescue has launched an investigation into the October 30, 2021 incident confirming that it involves one of their firefighters.

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