Prof. Kirtley Calls Mugshot Bill 'Very Poor Policy' in City Pages

Professor Jane Kirtley labeled a proposed Minnesota bill to limit electronic access to mugshots "very poor policy" in an article in City Pages. Rep. Pam Myhra has proposed the bill in response to websites that publish booking photographs online and then charge the subjects to remove them. But Kirtley pointed out that public access to mugshots enhances oversight of law enforcement, and that existing criminal laws should provide an adequate remedy for extortion. She added, "Trying to legislate behavior by controlling access to information is very poor policy, but we see it all the time in the context of digital government information."