Vanessa Bryant Will Not Have To Undergo Psychiatric Evaluation In Advance Of Trial Against LA County Judge Rules
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick on Monday denied a request that Vanessa Bryant undergo a psychiatric evaluation as part of her lawsuit against Los Angeles County over leaked photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Laker star Kobe Bryant, and her daughter.
Bryant sued Los Angeles County last year, alleging that she and her family suffered severe emotional distress after discovering that sheriff's deputies snapped and shared gruesome photos of the helicopter crash scene.
Lawyers argued in court papers that she cannot have severe distress from crash photos she and the public have never seen.
The judge, however, denied the county's motion seeking the exam, deeming the request "untimely." He denied the motion "without prejudice," meaning county attorneys could make the request again depending how the case proceeds.
Bryant won a separate legal victory in the case last month when Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and Fire Chief Daryl Osby were ordered to be deposed in the case.
Eick said Villanueva and Osby appear to have "unique first-hand, non-repetitive knowledge" relative to the case. The judge limited each deposition to four hours.
The trial is scheduled for February 2022.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)