In a 53-14 vote that took place days ago, South Dakota's legislative House passed legislation that makes arrest booking photos public records. The measure, which cleared the state's Senate in January, will be signed by Governor Dennis Daugaard.
With that signature on Senate Bill 25, (PDF) South Dakota becomes the 49th state requiring mug shots to be public records. The only other state in the union where they're not public records is Louisiana.
The South Dakota measure is certain to provide fresh material for the online mug shot business racket. These questionable sites post mug shots, often in a bid to embarrass people in hopes of getting them to pay hundreds of dollars to have their photos removed. The exposé I did on this for Wired found that some mug shot site operators had a symbiotic relationship with reputation management firms that charge for mug shot removals.
[...] The law allows for the release of mug shots, even including those of minors, for those arrested for various felonies. The law also allows agencies to refuse to hand over booking photos that are more than six months old. Agencies are entitled to recover costs "to provide or reproduce" mug shots.
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Wednesday March 15 2017, @07:49PM (4 children)
Hmm, trying to think of something witty to post. “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” That sort of fits, but I think we need a bit of an adjustment.
Let's try “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Nationalism, deserve neither Liberty nor Nationalism.”
Thanks, Ben!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 15 2017, @08:46PM (1 child)
I never understood why anyone would take lessons on safety from a guy who thought that flying a kite in a thunderstorm was a sane thing to do.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Wednesday March 15 2017, @10:29PM
Because he has been enlightening, OBVIOUSLY.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 16 2017, @12:57AM (1 child)
Problem: it's not "essential" to import millions of freeloaders from other countries and pay for their homes, food, schools, child support and medical expenses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 16 2017, @04:04AM
Ah, alternative facts. Lemme make that less "alternative" and more "facts" for you.
Problem: it's
not"essential" to import millions offreeloadersworkers from other countriesandto pay fortheirour homes, food, schools, child support and medical expenses.