Judge blocks release of additional records in Bob Saget death investigation

The judge’s decision comes after the Saget family filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to prevent the release of some records, citing privacy concerns, as CNN previously reported.

Kan Saget, 65 years old He was found dead in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida, last month. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s office determined that his death was accidental, most likely due to him falling backwards and hitting his head.

On Tuesday, Sagitt’s widow Kelly Rizzo and her three daughters sued the Orange County sheriff and the medical examiner’s office, demanding that certain death investigation records be exempted from public disclosure due to their graphic nature in how they portrayed the late. the actor.

“In the course of these investigations, the defendants created records that include photographs, video and audio recordings, legally protected autopsy information, and all other legally protected information,” the lawsuit states. “Based on information and belief, some of these records graphically depict Mr. Saget, his likeness or features, or parts of him, and were made by the defendants during the defendants’ investigations.”

The family argues in the lawsuit that the release of this information – whether through a request for public records or any other means – would cause them “to suffer irreparable harm in the form of severe mental anguish, anguish, and emotional distress”.

In court documents obtained by CNN affiliate WESH, Ninth Circuit Court Judge Vincent Chiu concurred and granted the request.

Brian Pepper, a lawyer for the Saget family, told CNN that the injunction was filed “to prevent the disclosure of any photos or videos of Mr. Saget provided by authorities during their investigation.”

“The facts of the investigation must be made public, but this material must remain private out of respect for the dignity of Mr. Saget and his family. It’s very simple – from a human and legal standpoint, the Saget family’s privacy rights outweigh any public interest in revealing this sensitive information.”

“While we are sensitive to family concerns about the right to privacy, this must be weighed against our commitment to transparency, compliance with the law, and the public’s right to know,” the Orange County Police Department said in a statement to CNN. Wednesday.

the autopsy report Saget tested positive for Covid-19, though he died of a head injury when he fell into a hotel room in Orlando.

In his report, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Joshua De Stefani said: “It is likely that the deceased suffered a non-witness fall backward and hit the back of his head. The method of death is accident.”

According to the report, Saget also developed an enlarged heart. 95% is one-sided blockage. And while there was no alcohol in his body, his systems contained clonazepam/klonopin – which is taken for seizures, panic disorders and anxiety, the report shows. In addition, the antidepressant trazodone was found in Saget’s regimen, according to the report.

CNN’s Joe Sutton and Chloe Millas contributed to this report.

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