Judge orders media to return mass shooting autopsy report

Fri, Feb 9, 2018 (2:40 p.m.)

A Las Vegas judge has ordered The Associated Press and Las Vegas Review-Journal to return copies of a redacted autopsy of an off-duty police officer killed in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The judge's ruling on Friday also barred the media organizations from further reporting the details of Officer Charleston Hartfield's autopsy.

AP attorney Brian Barrett said the news cooperative would immediately appeal the ruling.

The autopsy record was one of 58 that another judge ordered the Clark County Coroner's Office to release last week to the AP and Review-Journal.

The officer's widow, Veronica Hartfield, argued the autopsy records were confidential and contained protected health information.

Attorneys representing the news organizations said once personal identifiers are redacted, claims to privacy no longer apply.

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