JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Some Missouri lawmakers want graphic photos and videos from crime scenes to be exempt from the state's open records laws.
House Republican Scott Largent, of Henry County, is sponsoring a bill that would put images of dismembered, decapitated or nude victims off-limits to the public.
Largent told a House committee Monday that some people are using Missouri's Sunshine Law to obtain such photos and post them on the Internet. He says that violates the wishes of victims' families.
News media groups, including the Missouri Press Association and the Missouri Broadcasters Association, say their members hardly ever publish such photos. They say the media might request the photos to double-check investigators' work in some cases.
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Crime scene photos bill is HB883
Online:
Legislature: http://moga.mo.gov