Police Facebook Page and DUI mugshots: is that fair?
In one small town in California, local police are considering whether to post mugshots (photos of people arrested) of people arrested with DUI on their local police Facebook page. Some citizens believe that is the right thing to do in order to shame the defendant so they don’t drink and drive again. Others believe that it is going too far as facebook posts are easy to disseminate and the accused will be faced with the equivalent of a public flogging before they are even convicted.
Will Facebook become a tool of law enforcement to deter future criminal behavior through public humiliation? Though they are public records, is it up to police to spend the time making it obvious who these perpetrators are, especially since it is a crime that so many people are convicted of from different classes, backgrounds, and social statuses.
So far in Orlando and surrounding towns, police have not undertaken posting mugshots of people arrested for drunk driving on Facebook but will it come to pass? The Orange County Sheriff’s office and Orlando Police do not post mugshots on Facebook but do post some on their websites.
What do you think?
If you have been arrested for drunk driving and need skilled representation contact our Orlando DUI Lawyers at the Umansky Law Firm.