There is a bill advancing in the Louisiana legislature that would prohibit the release of booking photos (mug shots) prior to conviction. I'm not sure how I feel about tht.
On the one hand, arrest records are pubic information, subject to public inspection. As a rookie officer I was taught that arrest records are public because we are not the KGB, and if we arrest someone, we don't make a secret of it, and the booking photo is a part of that record.
On the other hand, I understand that arrested persons are not yet convicted of anything, so a presumption of innocence applies. Many news outlets splash booking photos across the headlines, causing problems for people who are later acquitted.
I see both sides of the argument, and I'm willing to be convinced.
1 comment:
If release were limited to publicly run locations, I'd be okay with it, but the way these photos are used and abused by private sources concerns me.
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