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Originally Posted by 2jersey If someone is charged with a crime, however, we would not assume that your privacy will be protected. Aside from a few exceptions (which vary by State), court records are open to the public (including the news media). |
Actually, one of those exceptions IS rape. The prosecutor can (and usually does) ask that court documents identifying the victim be sealed.
Everybody knows what Kobe Bryant was charged with. Very few remember the name of the woman who charged him, because her name was never revealed throughout the trial. And
that was a high profile case.
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In this case (party because of the nature of the party you attended), we would assume that the news media will be interested in covering and sensationalizing the facts. This is particularly likely if you live in a small community.
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True, but they're bound by the same court NOT to reveal the name, even if they discover it by other means. Again, reference the Bryant case. It didn't take a "Colombo" to figure out the identity of the night clerk who made the charges against him. But nobody had the balls to publish it, for fear of jail time or a civil lawsuit. Which brings me to the next item...
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If we did decide to report the crime, we would probably consult with an attorney first to see what, if anything, could be done to safeguard our privacy rights.
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Absolutely! But while "safeguarding your privacy" is important, the real advantage to consulting with an attorney is civil liability. Even if there is no criminal prosecution, you probably have grounds for a lawsuit based on the toxicology report alone. I don't think it's
much of a case, but faced with the facts and the cost of defending themselves, you might just get them to offer you a settlement. Just a thought...
(BTW, a note about lawyers. I'm not a litigious person, but I regard lawyers like I do handguns and trade unions...IF you need one, you might as well go with the biggest, nastiest, noisiest m**********r you can get your hands on. You want one that will get the job done the first time.)