Lawmakers in Atlanta wisely chose to vote against House Bill 10 which would have all but made The Jail Report, a publication depicting the mugshots of those recently arrested, a thing of the past.
The proposed legislation in Georgia House Bill 10 would have restricted the release of mugshots unless the individual in question was convicted of the offense for which they were arrested. Under this bill, only news media representatives could access the photographs before a conviction, and they would have to meet specific conditions to do so.
Some would argue that The Jail Report, a sister publication of The Augusta Press, victimizes innocent people who were improperly arrested. This is an argument that only holds water if studies showed that an abnormally high number of innocent people were being held in jail.
In our view, The Jail Report provides an important service, the least of which is deterrence.
People, especially those with a career to protect, are much less likely to get behind the wheel intoxicated, knowing their face might appear at the check-out stand in hundreds of convenience stores.
In an era where a backlogged court system has people out on bond for months and months before a case goes to trial, The Jail Report might prevent someone from hiring an applicant that is awaiting trial on armed robbery or other violent crime.
Having that readily available mugshot database might also help parents identify someone living nearby that is out on bond for child pornography or, even worse, a sexual crime against a child.
The bill’s defeat is a signal that lawmakers still believe in the freedom of the press as its passing could have led to other, even more draconian, limits on press activity.
This does not mean that the matter is over. There is nothing stopping soft-on-crime legislators from reintroducing a similar bill next year.
Therefore, we must remain vigilant and make sure legislators do not attempt to slide a new version under the door in the coming legislative sessions.
