4 ms·

If you think a mug shot makes someone look guilty, do you not believe someone is innocent until proven guilty? Perhaps that the real issue. People don't unders

by dfxm12 5y ago

If you think a mug shot makes someone look guilty, do you not believe someone is innocent until proven guilty? Perhaps that the real issue. People don't understand how the justice system works. People put too much blind faith in cops.

paulpauper 5y ago
a lot of people plead guilty too
anigbrowl 5y ago
It doesn't matter what you believe. A significant chunk of people will just assume guilt and repeat/propagate the information, whether through naivete or malice. Having a large number of people saying 'X is a criminal' based solely on the existence of the mugshot is a problem. Some people do it because it fits a political agenda, other people are credulous fools who believe they can see evil by looking at the eyes in a photograph, and of course mugshots are like passport photographs in that they have unflattering direct lighting/straight on posture, subjects are discouraged from smiling etc.
- jollybean 5y ago
  It's not so much the assumption of guilt as a kind of 'bias'. 'It doesn't make you good look good', or it 'kind of makes you look guilty'. I think most people recognize that it doesn't imply guilt, but it's a strong signal in that direction. A person who gets a mugshot, and is subsequently let off the hook ... doesn't really recover from the stain of bad PR. A mugshot could ruin a CEO's career for example, in law there is exoneration, but in populism there often isn't. Or not like that. They'd have to hire a PR firm to do a public reparation of their image. For those who are actually guilty of course it's less relevant.
pessimizer 5y ago
> If you think a mug shot makes someone look guilty, do you not believe someone is innocent until proven guilty? The US justice system, at least, officially does not believe that, or else pre-trial detention wouldn't be punitive. When jail starts looking like a college dorm, I'll be convinced otherwise.

by dfxm12 5y ago

paulpauper 5y ago

a lot of people plead guilty too

anigbrowl 5y ago

It doesn't matter what you believe. A significant chunk of people will just assume guilt and repeat/propagate the information, whether through naivete or malice. Having a large number of people saying 'X is a criminal' based solely on the existence of the mugshot is a problem. Some people do it because it fits a political agenda, other people are credulous fools who believe they can see evil by looking at the eyes in a photograph, and of course mugshots are like passport photographs in that they have unflattering direct lighting/straight on posture, subjects are discouraged from smiling etc.

jollybean 5y ago
It's not so much the assumption of guilt as a kind of 'bias'. 'It doesn't make you good look good', or it 'kind of makes you look guilty'. I think most people recognize that it doesn't imply guilt, but it's a strong signal in that direction. A person who gets a mugshot, and is subsequently let off the hook ... doesn't really recover from the stain of bad PR. A mugshot could ruin a CEO's career for example, in law there is exoneration, but in populism there often isn't. Or not like that. They'd have to hire a PR firm to do a public reparation of their image. For those who are actually guilty of course it's less relevant.

pessimizer 5y ago

> If you think a mug shot makes someone look guilty, do you not believe someone is innocent until proven guilty? The US justice system, at least, officially does not believe that, or else pre-trial detention wouldn't be punitive. When jail starts looking like a college dorm, I'll be convinced otherwise.