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Community Forum · Est. 2006
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#621
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01-28-2010, 03:55 AM
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Re: Nicole Catsouras 'Nikki' Lost Control of Porsche, Hits Toll Booth Gory Pictures
You do realize that if photos like this weren't posted 'all over the net', there wouldn't BE any gore forums to visit, right? Furthermore, she was 18 years old. Not 'only a baby.' I never understand why people insist on infantilizing victims this way. She had graduated high school. She was old enough to go out and party. Old enough to do shitloads of blow. Old enough to steal her father's car keys WHILE STILL ON BLOW (tox report tested positive for cocaine in her blood). Old enough to hit another car at speeds in excess of 80MPH on a public highway. She was an irresponsible spoiled brat who willfully endangered the lives of countless other people and their children. She may have had the world at her feet, but she pissed it all away with the choices she made. I wonder how sorry you people would feel for her if she'd hit and killed a carload of little kids instead of herself while she was tooling down the road. |
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#623
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01-29-2010, 03:13 AM
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Re: Nicole Catsouras 'Nikki' Lost Control of Porsche, Hits Toll Booth Gory Pictures
although I think it's horrific and a terrible way to die, she only had herself to blame and it's a miracle she didn't take anyone else with her! My partners older brother (he was 5, my partner was born 3mths after it happened) was killed by a speeding driver who never even bothered to stop, even though it's been nearly 29yrs it still has a massive impact on the family. People who are reckless rarely think of the consequences of their actions and others should remember that when they accuse people of being harsh and insensitive, had she killed another driver and survived I doubt she'd be the poor victim then huh? |
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#626
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02-01-2010, 10:54 PM
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Re: Nicole Catsouras 'Nikki' Lost Control of Porsche, Hits Toll Booth Gory Pictures
BREAKING NEWS! Via - The Orange County Register. Published: Feb. 1, 2010 Updated: 6:17 p.m. Family wins right to sue CHP in death-images case. In a groundbreaking ruling in a case involving ghoulish death images, an appellate court has reversed a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol and two of its employees for leaking photos of a decapitated teenager onto the Internet. The opinion, by the Fourth District Court of Appeal (Division Three) in Santa Ana, is certified for publication, meaning it stands to rewrite state law concerning the privacy rights of surviving family member when it comes to death images of a decedent. Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras' favorite slogan was "Keep Your Head Up.'' The family has filed an appeal in their lawsuit against the CHP for leaking onto the Internet photos of Nikki's corpse following a car crash. The ruling, made public today, also means that the family of Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras can proceed with their civil action against the CHP, which admitted to improperly disseminating pictures of the 18-year-old's remains following a high-speed crash on a toll road in Lake Forest on Oct. 31, 2006. "The entire Catsouras family is ecstatic with the court's findings," said family attorney Keith G. Bremer of Bremer, Whyte, Brown & O'Meara in Newport Beach. "The family is pleased that it will now be afforded the opportunity to confront the CHP and the officers with their actions and request that each be held responsible." In sometimes stinging language, the panel of three justices, in their 64-page ruling, said the Catsouras family, of Ladera Ranch, is on solid legal ground in pursuing damages for negligence, invasion of privacy, and infliction of emotional distress – causes of action that Orange County Superior Court Judge Steven L. Perk tossed out in March 2008. The appellate court did, however, back Perk in dismissing legal arguments that the family's civil rights were violated. "The alleged acts (of the CHP) were morally deficient," the appellate ruling said. The CHP admitted that two employees, Thomas O'Donnell and Aaron Reich, e-mailed nine photos of Nikki's body to friends and family for apparent shock value on Halloween day in 2006. "It is a sad day, to be sure, when those upon whom we rely to protect and serve do the opposite, and make the decapitated corpse of a teenage girl the subject of international gossip and disrespect, and inflict devastating emotional harm on the parents and siblings of that girl," the ruling said. "The CHP should know better. Every one of its officers should know better. The CHP is in a position to ensure that this does not happen again." Under existing state law, surviving family members have no right of privacy "in the context of written media discussing, or pictorial media portraying, the life of a decedent." However, the Catsouras case is unique, the appellate court noted. "California law has not heretofore addressed the precise issue before us, having to do with gruesome death images that were in the control of law enforcement officers and allegedly disseminated out of sheer morbidity or gossip, as opposed to any official law enforcement purpose or genuine public interest," the ruling said. The CHP does not comment on pending litigation. In a previously released statement, the agency sent condolences to the Catsouras family, calling the accident "tragic" and its aftermath a "difficult, unfortunate situation." Nikki died when she lost control of her father's Porsche while driving more than 100 mph on the 241 toll road and slamming into an unmanned toll station. She is survived by her parents, Lesli and Christos Catsouras, and three younger sisters. Soon after the crash, images of Nikki's corpse proliferated worldwide on more than 2,500 Web sites and were "spit back at the family members, accompanied by hateful messages," the ruling noted. One of her sisters was so traumatized by taunting at school she dropped out to be home-schooled. While expressing their dismay at how the images were exploited on the Internet, Reich and O'Donnell – in previous interviews and through their attorneys – maintained they meant no harm to the family. They also say they sent the images to warn family and friends about the dangers of speeding and driving under the influence. Toxicological tests turned up no signs of alcohol in Nikki's system but did turn up scant traces of cocaine metabolites. "He (Reich) intended to present an issue ... of legitimate public concern," said Jon R. Schlueter, attorney for Reich. "We have no sympathy for the cyber-bullies who targeted the family. We wish those people had been sued." Reich resigned from the CHP shortly after news of the leaked images broke for reasons unrelated to the controversy, according to Schlueter. O'Donnell's attorney, R. Rex Parris, could not be reached for comment. A dispatch supervisor in Irvine, O'Donnell was ordered suspended without pay for 25 days after the CHP admitted to the leak. Schlueter said he is considering filing a petition for review before the state Supreme Court – a decision he has 40 days to make. He said he also is considering filing a motion of reconsideration before the appellate court. Bremer said the Catsouras family is looking forward to a possible settlement or jury trial. Lesli and Christos Catsouras said they want the CHP and its dispatchers held accountable for causing what has become a never-ending nightmare for them and their three surviving daughters. They have spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to rid the Internet of the images by hiring a private company that specializes in going after offensive material on Web sites. "We're looking forward to confronting Aaron Reich, Thomas O'Donnell and the CHP in court for their incompetent behavior," Lesli and Christos Catsouras said in a statement. "Up until now, the CHP has told us there was nothing we could do about the pictures — that we were on our own. We're thankful that now, we finally have an opportunity to get them to sit down and talk to us and offer us help." |
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#627
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02-02-2010, 12:33 AM
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Re: Nicole Catsouras 'Nikki' Lost Control of Porsche, Hits Toll Booth Gory Pictures
That's a fucking travesty. I can't believe the court rolled over for these people. Oh well, its not like we got many good US-based gore images anyway. But shit like this more or less assures that we won't be seeing any in the future. |
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#628
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02-02-2010, 12:47 AM
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Re: Nicole Catsouras 'Nikki' Lost Control of Porsche, Hits Toll Booth Gory Pictures
Uhhh...I'm confused here. Am I correct in understanding that, somewhere amidst the garbled monstrosity that passes for English grammar that constitutes your post, you are cursing at me for looking at pictures on a gore forum? You do realize what the name (and purpose) of this forum is, right? If looking at photos of death and gore is so offensive to you, one must question what it is you're doing in this forum. |