If you are a member of the paparazzi in Los Angeles, chances are you will need a paparazzi lawyer to defend you from false accusations. The paparazzi lawyers at Rodriguez, Lewis & Kahn have worked with numerous paparazzi to defend against false claims and other charges.
A paparazzo has been implicated in pop superstar Madonna's recent horse riding accident in Long Island, New York. The singer was riding a horse at a friend's house when she claims a paparazzo jumped out from behind some bushes, startling her horse and causing it to rear. The singer was treated at a Long Island hospital for "minor injuries and bruises" according to a local police report.
While the police report does not specify the presence of any paparazzi at the time of the incident, numerous photographs exist of the singer both just before and just after her incident according to her spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. Photographer Thomas Hinton claims he was taking pictures of the singer from a public road before and after her fall, but was not present when she fell. Celebrities such as Madonna are increasingly taking a tough stance against the ever-present paparazzi, and lawmakers are following suit.
California became the first state in the nation to enact laws against the paparazzi when it enacted a bill in 1999 that protected those with celebrity status from a physical invasion of privacy when photographers are trespassing, as well as rendering any audio or video enhancing devices that would also violate the celebrity's privacy illegal. In 2005, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a second piece of anti-paparazzi legislation that punished members of the paparazzi for assaults or altercations caused by the photographer's attempts to take photos.
The new legislation tripled the amount of damages that may be awarded to a celebrity in such cases and makes it illegal for photographers to profit from photos taken illegally during an intrusion. In California, freedom to take photos of celebrities in public spaces is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Celebrities, however, are targeting the paparazzi with both civil suits and criminal charges as photographers use increasingly aggressive tactics to get photos.
If you are a photographer facing criminal charges, call the attorneys at Rodriguez, Lewis & Kahn immediately to fight for you.
