Photo: NBC
On Monday, a judge in Florida blocked the release of confidential records related to actor and comedian Bob Saget’s death investigation.
The appeal of the Saget family for a permanent mandate was approved by Ninth Judicial Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu, as per court minutes acquired by WKMG.
The judge’s ruling came almost a month following the Saget family filing a lawsuit to bar any records being disclosed, mentioning privacy concerns.
According to a statement issued by the Saget family representative Brian Bieber: “The entire 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,” he added.
Saget died in January this year at the hotel where he had been staying. The cause of death was accidental and most likely due to head trauma resulting from falling, as per the Orange County Medical Examiner’s office.
It has been reported that the Orange County, Florida Sheriff’s Department finished their probe into Saget’s death and published a final report.
Moreover, the report’s conclusion aligns with medical examiner findings that Saget’s death was purely accidental and no foul play happened, said a source. The official document is under court verdict, preventing disclosing any new information about the comedian’s passing.
Kelly Rizzo, Saget’s widow, and three daughters dragged Orange County’s sheriff into court this month, demanding that investigation records linked to their late actor be spared from being released publicly due to the graphic details.
“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,” indicated in the lawsuit. “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 claims in the lawsuit that the disclosure of this data, may it be through a public records request or any other outlet, would cause them to “suffer irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress.”
