A California legislator plans to introduce legislation to protect the privacy of people making 911 calls.
The release to the news media of an emergency call for help on behalf of actress Demi Moore prompted Assemblymember Norma Torres (D-Chino) to announce legislation to place 911 calls on par with unauthorized release of medical records.
Torres spent nearly two decades as a dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department.
"In my 18 years as a 9-1-1 operator, I found that every minute is critical when someone is experiencing an emergency," she said in a prepared release sent via email. "No one should hesitate to make a call during a medical emergency because they are concerned that the call will be made public. Medical emergency 9-1-1 calls contain private and sensitive information that should never be broadcast to the world."
"Everyone has the right to privacy," she added. "The unauthorized release of medical records is already illegal, medical emergency calls should also be protected. Their unauthorized release is irresponsible and intrusive. People's lives are being jeopardized. I don't want anyone to hesitate or not make a 9-1-1 call because they are afraid their taped call will be released to the media. We need to protect this basic right to privacy," added Torres.
Emergency calls on behalf of celebrities and tapes of 911 calls involving high-profile cases are frequently passed along to media personnel, who make the calls public via TV newscasts, radio broadcasts and Internet webcasts.
In criminal cases, both prosecutors and defense attorneys ordinarily fight the release of 911 calls because they are considered court evidence.
For partisan discussions of political news, visit:
Merced County Republican Party
Recommended:
Comments