(CNN) a?? Anna Nicole Smith spent much of her life in front of the cameras, and more pictures of the model/reality star are likely to surface now that shea??s dead. But a law passed after a race car drivera??s death should ensure that her autopsy photos are never published.
Smith, 39, died Thursday after she was found unconscious in her room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Investigators at the Broward County medical examinera??s office performed an autopsy Friday.
Floridaa??s public records laws are very open, and the state constitution guarantees that a??every person has the right to inspect or copy any public record made or received in connection with the official business of any public body, officer, or employee of the state, or persons acting on their behalf.a??
In 2001, Florida passed a law, known as the Earnhardt Family Protection Act. The bill, named for NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, made autopsy photographs, video and audio recordings confidential. Violators could be charged with a third degree felony that could be punishable by jail time and up to a $5,000 fine.
Even if the photos are leaked, ita??s unclear how much they would be worth, said Brandy Navarre, owner of the celebrity photo agency X17online.com.
a??Autopsy photos are not something that wea??ve ever been offered, and we wouldna??t actively search for something like that. Ita??s not really something that we would do,a?? said Navarre. a??Wea??re pretty careful about possessing or distributing or licensing pictures that might have been gathered in an illegal way or that someone might try to sell to us who doesna??t have the rights to the images.a??
(story via CNN)
