Charged!! Guilty Without A Court Date...

"It's a cyber scarlet letter with a punch, as 11 men found out in Richmond after they encountered undercover officers who posed as prostitutes Thursday afternoon while wearing hidden microphones along busy 23rd Street.

The officers snapped the men's mug shots while booking them in the field, then posted the photos Friday to the police force's Facebook page."

http://www.chron.com/crime/article/Bay-Area-police-use-online-shame-to-deter-johns-5736677.php

First--soliciting prostitution is illegal. That isn't the point of this conversation.

This kind of stuff happens all the time. I believe that the "perp walk" and things like this push the limits of our constitution. Once your picture is out there and seen by others, you've been convicted in the court of public opinion. Why can't the police/prosecutors wait until there is an actual conviction before posting pictures?

Publish all the pictures you want of convicted folks...but respect the rights of those who have not yet had their day in court.

Guilty until proven innocent or found not guilty (and then not really excepted as being truly innocent or not guilty) is the result of perp walks and pictures of arrests...

First of all Richmond is the absolute pitts as far as murder, drugs, etc. so anyone who lives there or would travel there for sex probably deserves whatever he gets.

Second, web sites often glean arrest records and make them available for longer periods of times and sorted in more interesting ways. These privately posted sites usually charge atleast one hundred dollars to remove a listing.

The worst case I ever saw was on an episode of cops where the guy was talking to the undercover cop, didn't have money, but said he would come back days later when he sold his truck.

It's unfortunate people believe the arrested are guilty when they aren't, so technically the justice system isn't at fault for the belief. Canada doesn't even share the information publicly I don't think if you're guilty, so it can be done. Here the government won't, but will hide pertinent information from the public about trade secrets of private parties. I think I get scared having government keep secrets because it leads to problems and I won't be ever included in on the secret.

This isn't even the worst of it. How about the places where if you are pulled over for DUI your car is taken on the spot and you never see it again? Or same thing when buying dope?

And people still think we are Land of the Free.

Quote: RonC

Publish all the pictures you want of convicted folks...but respect the rights of those who have not yet had their day in court.

Are you trying to save everyone from this or just prostitution suspects?

Should pre-conviction "mugshots" only be shown for certain crimes or none?

Someone's drunk driving mugshot wouldn't get published until after a conviction.

Would their name still be publishable?

Quote: AZDuffman

This isn't even the worst of it. How about the places where if you are pulled over for DUI your car is taken on the spot and you never see it again? Or same thing when buying dope?

This is due to Asset Forfeiture laws that make the money trickle its way down to the cops for "training or air conditioners or bonuses". Cops will follow a street addict for blocks and make the arrest when he gets in his car. Cops will troll the freeway rather than the local community: better seizures.

Quote: rxwine

Are you trying to save everyone from this or just prostitution suspects?
Should pre-conviction "mugshots" only be shown for certain crimes or none?
Someone's drunk driving mugshot wouldn't get published until after a conviction.
Would their name still be publishable?

Hold it. It may be embarassing but the public is protected when the police booking records are public documents displaying who was brought in, when, what bruises he had, what it was he was arrested for and what claims he made at the time of violence. Otherwise cops could just round someone up and hold him until they found something they liked to charge him with.

Quote: Fleastiff

This is due to Asset Forfeiture laws that make the money trickle its way down to the cops for "training or air conditioners or bonuses". Cops will follow a street addict for blocks and make the arrest when he gets in his car. Cops will troll the freeway rather than the local community: better seizures.

Completely correct. And it is even worse when they can just use the swag they take vs. filter it through an auction and get just their share of the cash. Government is looters, pure and simple.

Quote: rxwine

Are you trying to save everyone from this or just prostitution suspects?

Everyone. Rick Perry. The drunk ethics lady. The ex-Virgina governor.

Quote: rxwine

Should pre-conviction "mugshots" only be shown for certain crimes or none?

None, if possible.

Quote: rxwine

Someone's drunk driving mugshot wouldn't get published until after a conviction.

Correct--as little pre-trial publicity as possible. "None" may not be practical.

Quote: rxwine

Would their name still be publishable?

We have a free press. We can't tell them what to publish or not based on what is public information.

On the other hand, we can avoid perp walks, facebook posts from the police, evidence releases (the videos of arrests are part of the evidence until the case is resolved), etc.

A kid can accuse and adult teacher of abuse and have a good enough story to get the teacher arrested. The child recants the statement, but the teacher is forever tarnished.

But it helps the police maintain order (is the usual whine I hear).

I completely agree, and the combination of civil forfeiture and arrest tales in the US makes me wonder at times what went wrong.