Hi everyone! I’m European. And lately, I have been wondering about “mugshots”. If I have understood correctly (but correct me if I’m wrong, that is why I am posting here: to learn!), whenever someone is arrested under the suspicion of some crime, mugshots are taken, and made publically available.
Is this true, or is this just an impression of mine? Can anyone just view the pics of people who have been arrested without being proven guilty?
Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to shed some light on this topic!
Much love to you all from Europe!
Memory <3
In: 331
Yep! Here is one from one of my local agencies……
[https://www.mcso.org/custody-bureau-information/find-a-mugshot](https://www.mcso.org/custody-bureau-information/find-a-mugshot)
The suspects have not yet been proven guilty, but that’s not relevant to making the pictures public. In the US, being in public means you are subject to being observed by other people. Taking pictures of someone that is within the public domain is a legal action. I don’t even like to say it that way because it’s like saying drinking water or breathing air is legal. Uh, well, yeah, no duh! I know other places are finicky, and even have laws against taking pictures of people and/or posting those pictures publicly (online). That’s just not a thing over here. I can take as many photos or videos of anybody I want in the public domain and do whatever I want with them as long as I do not have nefarious intentions. Taking a mugshot is not the exact same, but it doesn’t really matter legally if you think about it. Had the cops taken the suspect’s photo before officially arresting them, then it’s just another picture taken of someone in public. Taking it after they are in custody doesn’t really change the outcome, it’s just a better quality photo.
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