Posted on 02/09/2006 5:09:00 AM PST by COUNTrecount
GRAFTON, W.Va. — The wife of Sago Mine survivor Randal McCloy Jr. is suing her brother-in-law for taking pictures of her comatose husband and selling them to the National Enquirer.
Anna McCloy's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Matthew McCloy, the supermarket tabloid and its parent, American Media Inc.
The family has said Matthew McCloy was paid $800 for a photograph that appeared in the National Enquirer last month of Randal McCloy on life-support at a West Virginia hospital.
McCloy was one of 13 miners caught in a Jan. 2 explosion at the Sago Mine. One miner was killed by the blast, and 11 others died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
No telephone listing for Matthew McCloy could be found.
American Media said it did nothing illegal in publishing the photo and the accompanying story.
"Matthew McCloy's intent in cooperating with the story was to call attention to the very serious issue of mine safety _ a view fully supported by The National Enquirer. No one intended to do anything to harm Randal McCloy," spokeswoman Barrie Gordon said.
The lawsuit, filed in state court last week, replaces a suit filed against the tabloid last month in federal court.
Selling photos of comatose brother? Utter lack of class. Reminds me of the Demonrats at King's funeral the other day.
This dumbass sold out his brother for a lousy $800. Sheesh!
Well of course, because the missus owns him just like Mikey owned Terri. Can't have pesky brothers snapping candids and selling them to a paper.
Here's a mine-accident-related lawsuit I can support.....
They ain't from West 'By God' for nuttin' ...
OH give it a friggin rest already. This is totally different and you damn well know it!!!!!!!!!
This is a wife trying to protect her husband from humiliation by having pictures of him lying in a hospital bed spread all over the world.
Anna is no Michael Shiavo. She is a loving wife who is doing everything to see that she gets the husband she loves and adores back. By contrast his brother is a lowlife who used his misfortune to pocket $800.
$800?
Who said people from WVA aren't stupid.
That photo was worth tens of thousands.
Can't you find your glasses? Surely you can see the difference between this and the Schiavo case.
Was her maiden name, Hlatfield?
She's not going to protect him from that since it's already done. Her choices were to sue pennyless brother-in-law, who actually did the despicable deed or sue deep pockets National Enquirer.
Did you hear the new logo? West Virginia: "Open for Business"!!!
Saw this on tv yesterday. How FS is that???????? Looks like the brother was first in line.
While I think it was horrid for a brother to do that why does it always come down to a lawsuit?
She has been blessed, her husband is still alive, time for lawsuits are later when he is able to function on his own.
But, by suing the NE she stops the photo from being reproduced anywhere else. That is the point.
"The lawsuit, filed in state court last week, replaces a suit filed against the tabloid last month in federal court."
Am I reading this correctly? She was first suing NI magazine, but dropped that to sue her BIL for $800 bucks? *Scratches Head*
Is that Wellstoning?
It would be if the GOP had the stones to bring it to the public's attention.
Brother deserves a good old fashioned West Virginia beatin' not a lawsuit.
The Hlatfields and McLoys?
Actually, I think she has to win in civil court in order to prove that her BIL had no right to take/sell the picture before she can sue the paper in federal court for using it.
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