Vanessa Bryant – Judge Denies Request To Dismiss Her Lawsuit Against L.A. County Over Kobe Bryant’s Leaked Crash Photos

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant

Vanessa Bryant – Judge Denies Request To Dismiss Her Lawsuit Against L.A. County Over Kobe Bryant’s Leaked Crash Photos

Good news for Vanessa Bryant! As we approach the two year anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s tragic, Vanessa just got word that her case against Los Angeles County will indeed move forward. On Wednesday (Dec.5), a California judge denied Los Angeles County’s request to dismiss Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit against them. In the suit, Bryant claims that photos taken at her husband, Kobe Bryant, 41, and 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant’s helicopter crash site on Jan. 26, 2020, were leaked.

Vanessa Bryant & daughter Gigi Bryant

Reportedly, Los Angeles County lawyers had filed a motion for summary judgment in an effort to dismiss the case entirely. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter denied that motion citing there was a need and legitimate reason to go to trial.

“There are genuine issues of material facts for trial.”

He added that his role as a judge is not

“To weigh the evidence and determine the truth of the matter but to determine whether there is a genuine issue for trial.”

Vanessa Bryant, 39, filed a lawsuit against the county in 2020, shortly after her husband, daughter and others were killed in a helicopter crash outside of Los Angeles in January of that year. The other victims of that tragic day include:  Payton Chester, 13, Sarah Chester, 46, Alyssa Altobelli, 14,  Keri Altobelli, 46, John Altobelli, 56, Christina Mauser, 38, and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.  Vanessa Bryant, is seeking damages for emotional distress and mental anguish.

Kobe Bryant helicopter victims the jasmine brand

Reportedly, in response to this week’s ruling by the Judge, attorneys for Los Angeles County said,

“We respectfully disagree.”

Skip Miller, partner and outside counsel for LA County had this to say,

“The county did not cause Ms. Bryant’s loss and, as was promised on the day of the crash, none of the county’s accident site photos were ever publicly disseminated. The county did its job and looks forward to showing that at trial.”

The trial is set to begin in February 2022.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

[VIA]