Reuters: People News: Paparazzo may face charges in Justin Bieber car chase

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Paparazzo may face charges in Justin Bieber car chase Jul 18th 2012, 00:09 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Los Angeles sues U.S. Bancorp, calls bank a slumlord 5:07pm EDT Authorities probe San Bernardino, city mulls bankruptcy move Fri, Jul 13 2012 Justin Bieber cited for speeding on L.A. freeway Fri, Jul 6 2012 Ex-Commerce chief Bryson won't face charges over car crashes Tue, Jul 3 2012 Autopsy conducted as Calif. police probe Rodney King drowning Mon, Jun 18 2012 Analysis & Opinion Car czars Record-setting bank forfeiture at ING ignites debate over lack of banker prosecutions Related Topics Entertainment » Fashion » Music » People » Singer Justin Bieber performs during the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, June 17, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Mike Cassese LOS ANGELES | Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:09pm EDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors are weighing whether to charge a paparazzo with driving recklessly on a Los Angeles freeway to photograph pop star Justin Bieber in what could be the first use of a new anti-paparazzi law, an official said on Tuesday. The case stems from a July 6 incident that saw police cite Bieber for speeding in his flashy Fisker Karma sports car. At the time, the 18-year-old singer told officers he was being chased on the freeway by paparazzi. A second car that police saw pursuing the performer sped away without being stopped, but the California Highway Patrol said at the time it was investigating whether paparazzi were chasing him. The Highway Patrol has since turned over the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office to determine whether charges should be filed, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney. "Our prosecutors are taking a look at what's been filed by the CHP," Mateljan said. He said the city attorney's office considering charging a single paparazzo. The name of the person has not been released. If a charge is filed, it would mark the fist time anyone has been prosecuted under a 2010 California law that prohibits driving recklessly while attempting to take a photo, said Mateljan, whose office was instrumental in getting the law passed by the state's legislature. When the bill was approved, the California Newspaper Publishers Association warned it could lead to needless prosecutions of journalists traveling to the scene of emergencies. Bieber, whom police described as polite and cooperative when pulled over, was issued a traffic ticket for speeding and was released. He was cited for driving 80 mph in a 65 mphzone. But a Los Angeles city councilman who happened to be driving on that portion of the freeway at the time said the Fisker Karma that roared past him was doing at least 100 mph. "He was driving in a careless, reckless fashion," Councilman Dennis Zine told Reuters earlier this month. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Cynthia Osterman) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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