I'm very sorry about your friend. That's awful! Although I'm 100% positive that it was extremely difficult for you to choose to stay in the courtroom to view the photos out of respect and advocacy of your friend, I understand why & commend you for doing so, as that was likely very traumatizing for you.
This is another example of how things get confusing/complex in terms of what should be shared and with whom:
But yet, not being the judge, a member of the jury, a defendant or counsel, you stayed and viewed the photos....
I don't point this out to judge you (because I don't, it's the opposite actually- I think it was an example of you being a good, loyal friend because I think I understand your thought process/the why of you making that choice and good loyal friends are not a dime a dozen) but it did also go against your statement that only those directly relating to the case should be viewing them, out of respect for victims privacy)
And then it opens a whole can of worms we can't possibly ever have the personal answer to for each and every deceased victim. If we were to say family only, how are we to know that the ONE person the victim would never want seeing those photos is their own mother or any family? Friends? Which ones? Those who knew the victim the longest? Those who spent the most time with them? Only their very best friend? Friends of the family? Only reporters/news people? Where do we draw the line? Where would each deceased victim want their line?
I'm not even interested in photos, mostly just the probable cause affidavit for R.A. was what I was referring to in my previous post. But I felt your post made some very interesting points about photos/privacy etc that were more than worth considering and discussing. Be well and again, my sincere condolences to you about your friend
MissMalowe
Thank you very much for your very thoughtful response.
I understand your interest and realize I reached past the immediate topic and down the rabbit hole a bit.
Let me please answer to this and put it into proper context for you.
I see this looks to you like I went against my own statement but it’s not that simple.
My friend was murdered in her very early 20s. It was horrific and traumatic and there were no answers for decades so many prayers went into this and then I petitioned to police to check into the case and the most incredible and competent detectives in a well-funded department were able to run well preserved DNA from the crime scene through CODIS and there was a hit.
It was a miracle and an answer to prayer and the result of the most amazing work by true professionals.
But I will tell you that I honestly and thoroughly advocated for my friend. I told the detective about how many years so many of us had suffered without answers.
I asked the detective what needed to be done and I listened and then I asked the detective to please prioritize this case and I followed up.
This was all quite a few years ago when it was much more expensive and less commonplace so it was all very miraculous to put a face on our monster with a DNA “hit”.
Detectives assured me that upon arrest the perp was not remorseful, not cooperative and he pleaded non guilty despite all the evidence against him. He had no empathy toward the victim, and was only self-consumed.
After many more months there was a trial.
One day, after many days (weeks even) of uninterruptedly attending the criminal trial and with no prior warning, I was told by either my friend’s family or someone from the DAs office that I may want to leave the courtroom for a few hours as I may find some pictorial evidence disturbing. I was surprised to see all of my friend’s family members were leaving but I made an immediate decision to stay because I felt extremely vested in the case and I felt that if all my friend’s family members were leaving then who would be there that was an advocate for my friend among a roomful of strangers.
I had no earthly idea that full nude photos of my deceased friend would be shown on a big screen.
I didn’t get that memo!
I will reiterate my humble opinion that THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WHATSOEVER THAT ANYONE OTHER THAN POLICE DETECTIVES, FBI AGENTS, THE DA AND STAFF, THE JUDGE, THE JURY, THE DEFENDANT AND HIS COUNSEL should be privy to photos like this.
You or I wouldn’t want our naked body on full display of strangers who happen to show up in a courtroom someday. A victim should be protected from private photos being shown in the public confines of an open courtroom with a larger than life BIG SCREEN hanging from the wall.
It is simply wrong, indecent and unnecessary. It is a gross invasion of privacy and being a victim should not mean that you are re-victimized by being put on public display.
It is quite literally being stripped of your dignity.
Imho there should be a line firmly drawn.
There was absolutely no reason that I needed to see that or that the members of the press that were present needed to see that or that the voyeurs who made their way into the courtroom that day needed to see that.
It is a matter of decency, decorum, tastefulness and ethics.
THE SYSTEM LET ME DOWN AND IT LET MY FRIEND DOWN and it was shameful.
I was told that often these images are kept private in trials.
I don’t know if this is the judge making this decision or the DA- I’m not trained in the law- but KUDOS to the powers that be that choose to protect our victims in this way.
It is something that has grated on me for years and there must be a way to change the laws to better preserve the dignity of a victim and of course those living- the family and friends of a victim- should be protected from this violation of privacy as well.
It is an indescribable feeling of violation and ickiness that most of us (thankfully) will never have to suffer.
I bring this up because I feel it pertains directly to Abby & Libby’s case.
Praying that their dignity and their privacy will be conscientiously preserved.
