The names of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies who shared horrific photos from the Kobe Bryant crash site will now be public, which Vanessa Bryant has been fighting for since September. Lawyers within the Department did not want the deputies name public to ensure there was no unwanted public scrutiny. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter wrote in his March 8 ruling, “Indeed where the case involves allegations of police misconduct, the public has a vested interest in assessing the truthfulness of the allegations of official misconduct.” Vanessa wrote to her Instagram, “They want their names to be exempt from the public. Anyone else facing these allegations would be unprotected, named and released to the public, but Kobe’s name was released when he was accused in 2003. Why should sheriffs get away with hiding? #doublestandard”. Vanessa attorney stated in regard to the judges ruling, “Transparency promotes accountability. We look forward to presenting Mrs. Bryant’s case in open Court.”
