Alarmed by what they say is a new generation of paparazzi willing to take dangerous risks to get celebrity photos, Los Angeles law enforcement officials say they are considering a new tool: felony conspiracy charges.
Los Angeles County prosecutors have been exploring the possibility of bringing conspiracy cases against individuals or companies they believe may be orchestrating some of the riskiest photo ambushes.
"There is a very real concern that this type of behavior may constitute a danger to the victimized celebrity and others," said William S. Hodgman, head of the Los Angeles County district attorney's target crimes unit. "We are aware that vehicles are used quite often in efforts to stalk celebrities. We also are aware of numerous incidents where the celebrity and or others had children with them who were put in jeopardy."
Police and prosecutors say that escalating aggressiveness over the last two years has prompted a new look at how existing laws are applied.
They cite two recent cases involving Lindsay Lohan, a much-photographed teen star, and Reese Witherspoon, 29, best known for her lead role in the "Legally Blonde" movies.
On April 16, Witherspoon told police she was confronted and later followed from her Westside gym by paparazzi. At one point, she said one or more of the photographers hemmed in her car outside a gated community off Sunset Boulevard, forcing her to seek help from a nearby security guard. No arrests or charges have been brought in the case, which police said was still under investigation.
On May 31, police arrested Galo Ramirez, 24, on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for using his minivan to ram Lohan's Mercedes-Benz as she tried to make a U-turn near the Beverly Center shopping mall. Ramirez was an employee of Beverly Hills-based Fame Pictures. Several other paparazzi were on the scene almost immediately to take pictures and videotape of Lohan, 18, upset and still in the vehicle after the collision.
Among questions authorities are asking in the wake of these incidents: Is anyone instructing these photographers in how to obscure their identities, such as by blocking license plates? How do numerous photographers end up in the same place at the same time? Are they working together to force celebrities off the road? If so, might prosecutors be able to charge them with a felony?
"Part of the investigation is to see where the connections are, how closely they worked together, if at all," said Lt. Paul Vernon, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
