Pandemonium as media mob ransacks shooters’ home on live TV without FBI permission

[KamaAina]

http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/pandemonium-as-media-mob-ransack-shooters-home-on-live-tv-without-fbi-permission/

Several news organizations toured the apartment shared by the San Bernardino shooters — even though the residence may still be an active crime scene under investigation.

The couple’s landlord said reporters and photographers from BBC, CNN, MSNBC and NBC rushed into the apartment Friday when he pried open the front door — and they live-tweeted broadcast their findings on live television.

Investigators said they did not authorize the tours, which could have contaminated the crime scene if it has not been cleared....

Viewers and social media users — and even some media colleagues — were almost uniformly critical of the networks’ decision to enter the apartment without apparently clearing the move with investigators.

[cwydro]

1. I just saw the latest presser.

The FBI guy, Bowdich, said that the FBI had released the scene and it had nothing to do with them.

[KittyWampus]

2. Thanks for confirming that, btw. I locked my OP.

[yellowcanine]

3. Landlord had an obligation not to let them in.

It is a violation of the privacy of the family. Just because the couple were criminals and are dead doesn't mean it is open season on their home. The landlord and the news agencies just opened themselves up to a violation of privacy lawsuit which could be filed on behalf of the baby girl and other relatives.

[Xolodno]

7. Yeap.

That grand the landlord got won't go far in lawyer fees. He better hope he's got good insurance with high limits. Oh and, get ready to sell his investment, because no insurance company will underwrite him after that.

[suffragette]

4. BBC has now posted brief video of this

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35006404

[librechik]

5. Brook Baldwin on CNN just said the FBI DID give permission (somehow)

If true, it's another FBI investigative f-up worthy of 9-11 or the JFK assassination.

yeah, I re-checked the tape-- FBI says they are only interested in the garage, so even though there were ids and fingerprints and other stuff, ok to look elsewhere in the house.

WTF???

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. The FBI released the property back to the owner 12 hours ago

so they had no control.

WTF indeed on the part of Raw Story

[yellowcanine]

8. And the owner was a landlord. He had no right to let news media into a rental unit.

This is basic landlord/tenant law. Even if the parents are dead, the child has privacy rights which the landlord just violated. Big time. Not to mention other surviving family members. If the family gets a good lawyer, they basically own this guy - and a piece of the news media who violated the rights of this family as well if they made public any pictures etc. of the child or other family members.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. That is besides the point

and that is a CIVIL LOCAL MATTER. So once again, blaming the FBI is the wrong people to blame.

[yellowcanine]

11. I am blaming the landlord and the news media, not the FBI.

And I hope the family sues the crap out of the landlord and the news media organizations.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. And I am calling Raw Story for making a HS journalism 101 error

[yellowcanine]

13. Your mistake is assuming Raw Story practices journalism.

I am not sure they would even claim that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. They do

but that is besides the point

For the record all media organizations do make mistakes. The difference is that most media outlets will correct them as soon as noticed. I am not above that. I have made them, and some are real bad goofs.

But I am commenting on the story, not the law surrounding entry to the apartment. By the way, as bad as it might sound to you, once the media was legally allowed into private property, they might be in the clear legally... was it ethical? I am sure there should be some discussion on this. My view, it was not ethical, and all that should have been done if anything, is note the rooms and what they could see, without showing it. Sadly, this may turn to be an international story.

Is the owner of the property liable in CIVIL COURT? Possible. That will be for a lawyer and a judge to decide.

As is LEGALLY once again, the status of the child is NOT CLEAR either. If they left a will that states how the child should be disposed off the COURT still will have to get involved. So we really do not know YET who will get legal custody of the kid.

[yellowcanine]

15. Regardless of the legal status of the child, she does have privacy rights.

Which cannot be waived by a landlord. At minimum, the landlord should have gotten some kind of agreement as to how those rights were going to be protected before allowing crews in there. Maybe he did and the media violated it. Whatever, my prediction is that some lawyers are definitely going to have a field day with this one.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. This is the land of fruits, nuts and lawsuits

there will be a lawyer (or lawyers) involved fairly soon. That I will conceded, no problem.

But once the courts pick this apart, given how private property and media interact... though if the media was not swift and did not get the agreement recorded, in some form, they might be in a tad more hot water. He said, she said... and all that.

To be honest, one of the stations (where liability might come from) offered 1000 buckaroos for access. You are the owner, you are not getting the cleaning deposit, and you are assuming the place was trashed by the cops, how will a 1000 bucks sound to you to fix the place up before you try to rent it again? I am sure the owner had no clue as to the POTENTIAL can of worms he just opened.

And many landlords and renters have like zero clue as to precisely what are their rights either.

And yes, there is an ethical component to this that I am positive will be ahem discussed, or should be, at journalism classes. Just because legally you can do something, does not mean you should. I am just questioning how much liability will be in place for CNN, and MSNBC and the local affiliates.

[Matariki]

10. Just like they did at Robert Lewis Dear's apartment

oh wait... they didn't. His failure to be Muslim didn't interest them that much.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. Come on. You want to look too