Bob Saget’s family granted permanent injunction to block the release of records
By Joe Sutton, Danielle Hackett, Sandra Gonzalez, CNN
A Florida judge on Monday blocked the release of certain records related to the death investigation of actor and comedian Bob Saget.
According to court minutes obtained by CNN affiliate WKMG, Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu granted the Saget family’s petition for the permanent injuction.
The judge’s decision came nearly a month after Saget’s family filed a lawsuit to block the release of some records, citing privacy concerns, as CNN previously reported.
Saget, 65, was found dead in his hotel room in Orlando, Florida, in January. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that his death was accidental, most likely due to him falling backward and striking his head.
“The entire Saget family is grateful that the Judge granted their request for an injunction to preserve Bob’s dignity, as well as their privacy rights, especially after suffering this unexpected and tragic loss. We are pleased this issue has been resolved, and the healing process can continue to move forward. All of the prayers and well wishes continuously extended to the family are beyond appreciated,” Saget family attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement to CNN.
Saget’s widow Kelly Rizzo and her three daughters last month filed a lawsuit against Orange County’s sheriff and the medical examiner’s office, requesting that some investigation records related to the death be exempt from being revealed publicly because of their graphic nature in how they portray the late actor.
“In the process of these investigations, Defendants created records which include photographs, video recordings, audio recordings, statutorily protected autopsy information, and all other statutorily protected information,” the lawsuit stated. “Upon information and belief, some of these Records graphically depict Mr. Saget, his likeness or features, or parts of him, and were made by Defendants during Defendants’ investigations.”
The family argues in the lawsuit that the release of this information — whether through a public records request or any other avenue — would cause them to “suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress.”
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CNN’s Amy Simonson, Aya Elamroussi, Tina Burnside and Kate Conerlv contributed to this report.
