Shame On You...

[Dennis1209]

I've noticed a consistent pattern for quite some time now watching the news.

Have you ever noticed that 95% +/- of the time when they show a criminal "SUSPECT" on the news, they always hide their face, and LE allows it?

Seems to me a real man would cowboy up and not be ashamed to show their face? Why do you suppose they are hiding their face as the news media normally releases their name(s)?

When the "SUSPECT" arrives at the jail he / she has photo's taken of him / her for the record and future use by LE.

I for one would like to see their face for future and / or past reference, be it to follow the crime or for future identification of the individual if it's a local neighborhood criminal.

Why does LE and the judicial system allow a suspect / convicted felon to hide their faces from their victims, public and neighbors?

[Jonnin]

I dunno. I have spent a fair bit of time to keep my name and image off the web. I do not want to be ID by anyone for any purpose, whether government, news, businesses, people that I do not really like, or even my highschool/college. I have no macho delusions that my personal information can be put to ANY good use by anyone, period.

I am not big into lawyers or lawsuits. But the one way I can absolutely assure you that I would sue someone would be a case like this, if I were wrongfully arrested and my name and face plastered all over, then proven innocent, I would be one wealthy sob time that was all settled. Even if you did nothing, you will never escape the harm done by the media in a case like that.

[BryanP]

For one thing "suspect" is not the same as "criminal" and people treat you differently when they know you've been a suspect. A buddy of mine was a "suspect" in a child molestation case for about 10 minutes. That was how long it took for them to get some questions out of the way and confirm he had nothing to do with it and the other guy was who they were after. Didn't matter - people treated him differently merely because he was questioned in relation to the event.

[Dennis1209]

OK, looking at it from that point of view, I can understand that reasoning.

How about the convicted criminal coming out of the court house playing hide and seek?

[dats82]

I will say, first off, that I don't watch the news, so my opinion probably does not hold much water. However, it is my understanding that if the person is a juvie, the media is not allowed to show them. I know the last time I was at my parents and I actually did watch the Nashville news, there were an increasing number of juvie suspects. That could have something to do with it but probably does not completely explain it.

[JAB]

Even if you did nothing, you will never escape the harm done by the media in a case like that.

I agree. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I don't think that an arrest record, mugshot or anything else should become public record or be available for public access, printing by the press or anything else until and unless the person is either convicted, pleads guilty or, at the very least, pleads 'no contest'. If a person is found to not be guilty of a crime of which they are accused, I believe there should be laws requiring that all physical records of the arrest should be completely and utterly destroyed and any electronic record completely and totally erased and that the public should never have any access to such records. Innocent until proven guilty means just that and people who are not found to be guilty should not be tried and found 'guilty' in the court of public opinion. I have never been arrested but if I were arrested and it was for a crime that I did not commit then I shouldn't spend years or even the rest of my life paying for a crime which I did not commit and of which I was found not guilty.

Edited July 17, 2012 by JAB

[Dolomite_supafly]

On one side I agree that the fact that by being accussed of a crime it can negatively affect you. But realize that in cases in which a person is arrested there is sufficient probable cause to make an arrest. Just because LE wants to question you doesn't mean you have to answer their request. If they have enough proof they will not ask you to come in, they will arrest you and bring you in for questioning. Which brings me to another point, NEVER answer questions regarding a crime you are considered a suspect in at least not without counsel and if you have been arrested you are entitled to counsel. If you have not been arrested it is because they do not have enough probable cause to arrest you.

Another reason to publicize it is a lot of crimes are solved with the public's help. By plastering the crime all over the media it will get possible witnesses to come forward.

And if a person is arrested for a crime and then found not guilty they cannot sue for compensation unless wrongdoing is established. Just because a jury finds you not guilty doesn't mean you are entitled to any compensation. Also just because a jury finds you not guilty of the crime for which you have been accused doesn't mean you didn't commit the crime.

As far as juveniles there is a legal requirement to safeguard their identity. I know that even when they are in custody their identity must be safeguarded from everyone, including other inmates.

Dolomite