Jury Sides with Sheriff's Cops in Lawsuit over Naked Crime Scene Photos

Cook County Sheriff’s police officers handled the scene of a 2009 drunk driving crash that killed 20-year-old Jessica Mejia according to protocol, jurors found Friday.

Family members of Mejia were disappointed at the verdict, having argued that the officers’ undressing and photographing of her body on a tarp showed “utter disregard and indifference” and caused them emotional distress.

The family had sought a verdict suggested at $2.5 to $3.5 million, Chicago Tribune reports.

On New Year’s Eve in 2009, 20-year-old Jessica Mejia was riding in a Mercedes SUV driven by her boyfriend Nicholas Sord, when he lost control on 147th Street near Justamere Road between Tinley Park and Oak Forest. The car struck a pole and Mejia was killed.

The lawsuit, filed in late 2010 by Mejia’s mother Christina and other relatives, alleges that officers on the scene peeled off Mejia’s clothes despite the department’s rules.

Experts who testified in the trial said officers followed protocol in not covering parts of Mejia’s body after they photographed her, as they were trying to retain any trace pieces of evidence. Mejia’s mother said the officers’ actions perpetuated the rumor that the accident was caused by Mejia straddling Sord, whose blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit. Sord, of Orland Park, pleaded guilty to DUI and in November was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison.

Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Sorich said in his closing statement that the photos taken on the scene were instrumental in convicting Sord, who had told police Mejia was straddling him at the time of the accident.

The photos showed no proof of his statement, Sorich said.

“I am very proud of my family,” Mejia’s father Louis said after the verdict was announced, as reported by Chicago Tribune. “They are very strong and showed their commitment to clear Jessica’s name and to stand for justice and the respect for people. It has been extremely difficult throughout this entire process. I am ashamed of those that were involved in the processing and handling of the incident. I have never seen such conduct against the innocent and will refrain at this time from making any further statements. Our pain and suffering will live with us, but so will Jessica.”