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States tighten autopsy photo laws

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Connie Ayres lost her 16-year-old daughter in a car crash in 1996. The next year she learned that a county morgue was using the autopsy photos in a slide show to help fight drunken driving.

Ayres since fought successfully for restrictions - passed last year - on the display of autopsy photos in Michigan.

At least 10 states have enacted laws in recent years to prohibit coroners from releasing pictures or other death records.

The new laws were prompted in part by a legal battle in Florida over autopsy photos of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who was killed in a crash in 2001. Several newspapers sought the pictures. Ultimately, Florida passed a law blocking public access to autopsy photos.

Open-records advocates say keeping the records available to the public is crucial.

Texas banned the release of autopsy photos in 1999; several other states have since followed suit.

In September, North Carolina restricted access to photos and recordings from autopsies. Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, North Dakota, South Carolina and Tennessee have also enacted restrictions regarding autopsy photos and other records.

[Last modified December 1, 2005, 01:08:09]