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Gary Michael Hilton's Crime: The Meredith Emerson Memorial Act
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by Amy Judd | March 11, 2010 at 03:56 pm
4517 views | 2 Recommendations | 2 comments
Serial Gary Michael Hilton's Crime Helped Create The The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act to Protect Images of Victims of Brutal Crimes
Gary Michael Hilton killed Meredith Emerson January 1st 2008 and in return for leading the police to her body in the Georgia mountains, Hilton is currently in jail serving a life sentence. Meredith Emerson's body was found nude and she had been decapitated by Hilton. It was a brutal violent crime.
However, Hustler Magazine requested use of the photos of Meredith Emerson's body, but when Emerson's family heard of the request, they started a movement to prevent brutal and gruesome crime scene photos from being publicly released, and on Thursday they got their wish with the creation of The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act.
Hustler will not be able to use the images of Meredith Emerson's body in their publication.
The Meredith Emerson Memorial Privacy Act is House Bill 1322 and as Rep. Jill Chambers, the sponsor of the bill stated, it will prevent any photos of victims that are
"nude, bruised, bloodied or in a broken state with open wounds, a state of dismemberment or decapitation,"
She went on to say:
"We have to walk the line between open record laws and the constitutional provisions that allow women to be able to be photographed nude or in pornography when they knowingly and willingly offer their bodies for dissemination," she said.
Rep. Jill Chambers stated that Meredith is not in any position to offer her permission for use of the photos and other victims should not be exploited either.
The bill will allow certain groups to view photos of that nature, such as journalists and lawyers, but they cannot copy or reproduce them.
Hustler is said to be exploring their legal avenues to the photos according to CNN:
"Hustler is aware of the GBI's refusal to honor its reporter's request for copies of the Emerson crime scenes photos, which were to be used in a news story about this crime. Hustler and Mr. Flynt disagree with the GBI's position, and are currently exploring all legal options available to them should the decision be made to go forward with the story,"
House Speaker David Ralston called the request 'sickening' and 'disgusting'.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 18:21 on March 11th, 2010
I'm thankful for people like Rep. Jill Chambers and David Ralston, along with the rest of the GBI and other agencies who worked to quickly put up a roadblock for this disgusting display of sensationalism. The Emersons should never have had to even hear this question broached, it is so disgusting. They should sue Flynt for the pain and suffering caused by his campaign to obtain photos and use them to glorify the acts of a murder and the peversion to which they have both given their whole life's work. There is very little that separates Flynt from Hilton in terms of what motivates and captivates them. I think it's justice that instead of dying when he was shot, Flynt now has to endure paralysis below the waist. It's a fitting condition for someone who has made it his whole life's goal to glorify peversion and the exploitation of women.
at 18:41 on March 11th, 2010
The new law won't interfere with first ammendment rights at all. It merely states that, while most photos can be sent to anyone filing an open records request, photos depicting "nude, bruised, bloodied or in a broken state with open wounds, a state of dismemberment or decapitation" may be viewed but just not reproduced.