An appeals court says an Orange County family can proceed with a lawsuit against the California Highway Patrol over graphic crash photos that were leaked by the agency.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana on Monday reversed a lower court's dismissal of the lawsuit against the CHP and two of its employees for leaking the photos of a decapitated teenager that ended up on the Internet.

In the ruling, the court said the family of Nicole "Nikki" Catsouras can pursue damages for negligence, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress.

The CHP admitted that two employees e-mailed nine photos of Nikki's body to friends and family for apparent shock value on Halloween day in 2006.

An attorney for one of the employees says he is considering an appeal.