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	Lawsuit over Photos of Injured Bishop Settled Associated Press, carried in Las Cruces Sun-News July 28, 2008 http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_10022247 GALLUP, N.M.—The city of Gallup has settled a lawsuit that had asked a judge to determine whether photographs of a former Roman Catholic bishop, who was injured in an apparent fall at his home, were public record. Donald Pelotte, who stepped down earlier this year as bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, was taken to the hospital in July 2007 with heavy bruising across his chest, arms, knuckles, legs and feet. Physicians called police but the bishop told them he had fallen. The news media requested that the city release the photos under the state Inspection of Public Records Act, but the city sued, asking a judge to decide the matter. Under the settlement earlier this month, the city agreed to release the photographs taken by Gallup police at the hospital, said city attorney David Pederson. The city also agreed to pay the legal fees of Albuquerque television station KRQE that was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The television station, in turn, dropped a counter lawsuit against the city. Officials with the diocese said they are not pleased that the photos will be released to the media. Deacon Timoteo Lujan, the chancellor of the diocese who discovered the injured bishop, said the police photos were taken without Pelotte's consent. Lujan maintained that they are private medical records.
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