Ohio County Morgue Allowed Corpses To be Used as Photo Props

hotballa · Aug 23, 2007

wow! Who in the govt thought this was a good idea???? And this is the state that basically gave the election to Dubya in '04???

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/22/morgue.suit.ap/index.html

Suit over corpses posed in morgue settles

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- An Ohio county agreed Tuesday to pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit over photos taken of posed bodies in its morgue.

Hamilton County will pay the money to 532 families during a two-year period, formally apologize to them and make sure offensive photos and copies are destroyed under an agreement that must be approved by U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel.

The settlement also includes grief counseling and a memorial.

The photos were of bodies posed with fruit, doll house furniture and other props.

The photographer, Thomas Condon, said he took them as part of an art project to illustrate the cycle of life from birth through death. He was convicted in 2001 of eight counts of gross abuse of a corpse for taking the pictures.

His 2½-year sentence was reduced to 18 months on appeal.

"The current settlement, based on unauthorized manipulation and photography of bodies over a four-month period in the morgue, is viewed by both sides as a fair compromise, particularly with the focus on continuing improvement at the Coroner's Office," said a joint statement by the county and plaintiffs.

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said those responsible are no longer in county government and that current officials pledge to remain vigilant.
Click to expand...

A-Train · Aug 23, 2007

I'm sure the corpses didn't mind...

bladeage · Aug 23, 2007

Screw you, A-Train!

Master Baiter · Aug 23, 2007

Who all thinks there is nothing wrong with this?

OldManBernie · Aug 23, 2007

Master Baiter said:

Who all thinks there is nothing wrong with this?

Click to expand...

I don't.

thadeus · Aug 23, 2007

Joel-Peter Witkin was doing posed-corpse photos decades ago. He'd go down to Mexico to avoid lawsuits like this one.

During the 19th century it was fashionable for families to take photos of children who had recently died.

Carl Herrera · Aug 23, 2007

This thread is useless without...

Forums

Ohio County Morgue Allowed Corpses To be Used as Photo Props

hotballa Contributing Member

A-Train Member

bladeage Member

Master Baiter Member

OldManBernie Old Fogey

thadeus Member

Carl Herrera Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!