Finally! Someone in the Government wants to do something about these Mugshot websites which post the arrest mugshot of every college student arrested in Florida. Florida legislator, Carl Zimmermann, has proposed legislation that would undercut many of the problems with these mugshot websites – potentially putting them out of business. You can read discussion about the proposed legislation here and read the text of the bill here.

I have long believed these websites are parasites, charging money to remove these embarrassing photos and information.  I have done legal research on the issue and even called the Florida Attorney General’s office to see if anything can legally be done to prevent the websites from publishing a mugshot especially after a dismissal, sealing or expunging of the arrest records. At this moment it appears the answer is still nothing can legally stop them. I have previously blogged about this issue, especially relevant to college students, here.

But, now college students who have been arrested and whose mugshots are on one of these websites may get some relief – some time soon. I say may because it has been opined that this proposed Florida legislation may not pass and if it does it may be challenged as unconstitutional. I am just happy to know that there is finally a government official that sees these mugshot websites as a problem and is working to address it.

Stayed tuned for updates on mugshot websites and this Florida legislation.

photo by: Sangre-La.com