On the 44th birthday of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, an attorney representing his widow, Vanessa, asked a jury in federal court Tuesday to bring justice on behalf of him and his daughter, who perished in a helicopter accident two years ago.
Vanessa Bryant's civil trial against Los Angeles County entered its 10th day, the final day of testimony after hearing from dozens of witnesses.
It was also the first day of closing arguments in the case, and the first time an attorney in the case put a cash amount on what he wanted the jury to pay Bryant and Chris Chester, her co-plaintiff in this trial: $75 million, per USA Today.
Chester's attorney, Jerome Jackson, asked for up to $2.5 million in damages for their previous 2.5 years of emotional suffering, plus up to $1 million in damages for each year of expected distress - 40 years for Bryant and 30 years for Chester.
Inhumane Experience
In his closing arguments, Jackson said: "When I reach this point of closing arguments, I'm usually anxious about not asking for too much. I don't have that anxiety today, because I will tell you, ladies and gentlemen, you can't award too much money for what they went through. You can't stack it too high. You can't spread it too wide. What they went through is inhuman and inhumane."
Vanessa Bryant has not requested a specific amount.
Both she and Chester brought this case to trial after suing the county in 2020, many months after they each lost spouses and daughters in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed all nine aboard.
They are blaming the county for what occurred after the incident, not the crash itself. They both accused county sheriffs and fire department officials of using their personal phones to capture graphic images of their perished loved ones at the crash scene, although they had no legitimate reason to do so.
According to the county, the photographs were never shared online and were erased shortly after the tragedy. Yet Bryant and Chester say they live in fear of the photos resurfacing because there's no way to know if they're still out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered at any time.
On behalf of Vanessa, attorney Craig Lavoie began his speech by reminding the audience that Kobe would have turned 44 on Tuesday if he were still alive, People reported.
"Forty-four years ago today in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant was born. Today is his birthday," Lavoie said, adding that he's honored to represent the basketball legend's widow.
The lawyer demanded "justice and accountability" for Kobe and Gianna, who would have reached the age of 16 in May.
Lavoie described the January 2020 helicopter crash as "devastating and life-shattering" before condemning the conduct of the sheriff and fire department defendants, "who were supposed to protect the dignity of those who perished on that hillside," stating the behavior "shocks the conscience" several times during his closing statements.
Remembering Kobe
Vanessa testified for three hours on Friday about her sentiments after her husband and daughter died. She felt helpless after learning that members of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and other emergency responders allegedly communicated gruesome photographs of Kobe, Gianna, and the other seven victims of the January 2020 tragedy.
During her testimony in the Kobe Bryant Crash Photos Trial, Vanessa said: "I want to remember my husband and my daughter the way that they were. I don't ever want to see these photographs. I have three little girls."
In December 2021, Los Angeles County attempted to dismiss Vanessa's lawsuit, but a judge denied their motion.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reported that Vanessa Bryant posted a greeting for her husband and Lakers legend Kobe on Instagram.
"Happy birthday, baby! I love you and miss you so much! #44," she wrote in the caption of an old photo of them hugging each other.
