Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against Fox News for Accidentally Airing Live Suicide

Back in September 2012, Fox News was following a high-speed car chase through Arizona and kept airing it live right up to the point where JoDon Romero pulled over, got out of the car, and shot himself on live television. Romero’s children filed a lawsuit against Fox News last year for emotional distress, but an Arizona judge has now thrown out the lawsuit.

Fox had been airing the chase live, with a five-second delay, but they did not cut away in time, and everyone watching Fox News saw Romero kill himself. A horrified Shepard Smith profusely apologized on the air, Fox News executive VP Michael Clemente issued an apology of his own for the “severe human error” at play, and in the wake of that horrible accident, Fox planned delay “drills” to ensure nothing like that would ever happen again.

Nevertheless, Fox was sued because of the “psychological trauma” inflicted on Romero’s kids after they saw the video, but Arizona judge John Rea has dismissed the suit. A Fox News lawyer said it was thrown out because “the network’s coverage was protected by the First Amendment” and the plaintiffs were unable to “satisfy the essential elements” of proving intent in causing emotional distress.

[photo via screengrab]

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac

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