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Report: #988637

Complaint Review: Mugshots.com - Internet

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  • Reported By: What — Internet United States of America
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  • Mugshots.com Internet United States of America

Mugshots.com Michael Robertson Michael Robertson Internet

*Consumer Comment: Class Action Against Mugshot Websites

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Michael J Robertson owns Mugshots.com Who owns mugshots.com? Michael Robertson owns mugshots.com

Attorneys on Avvo have made the comments below. Would they have made these comments if it was them or their children on Mugshots.com? I don't think so!

"The mugshot is public information. Anyone could have looked it up as soon as the government publicized it. It could have been printed in the paper or broadcast on tv. A radio announcer could have described it."

"Mugshots are public records of the actions of the government. It is lawful everywhere in the U.S., so far as I know, to publish documents and photographs that are public records of the actions of the government. People are apoplectic about the existence of these mugshot sites but they are an unfortunately humiliating byproduct of open government and the First Amendment. "

"When the police book you and take your photo after your arrest, that photo is a governmental document. We live in a democratic country where most governmental documents are not secret and anyone can obtain a copy. "

"Unfortunately, it is public record. There are services where you can pay for removal for a fee. There is not much you can do because it is public record and you were arrested."

"Sorry, but the pictures are public record and they can be posted online. We have had a half-dozen or more questions asking this very same question. The answer is the same and the answer is that this is totally legal. If you want to stop this you will have to change the law in your state. Until then, as long as the pictures are public record there is little you can do."

"it appears to be legal. One way to view it is via 1st Amendment protections that would apply to a newspaper or radio station. In our small community, every non-juvenile arrest goes to the 8:00 AM radio and in the newspapes. Some news stories include the mug shot."

"the website is within its rights to post the mugshot"

"MugShots.com and other mug shot display websites base their existence on the rule that mug shots are public, official records, and that a citizen does not have a state law privacy interest in them. Further, under the First Amendment, most official, public records can be obtained with permission, third-party release, or proper request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), if they are not already publicly-available documents to begin with. 

If the official mug shot is part of an arrest record, the mug shot could be considered part of the public domain in some jurisdictions. Even if a mug shot is not officially considered part of an arrest record, it is generally a photographic record in the public domain and the laws of most jurisdictions allow one to request and obtain these types of records. 

Some states recognize a common law right to privacy, and the Appeals Courts are split on whether or not a citizen who is arrested (and of course, presumed innocent until proven guilty) would be entitled to demand that their mug shots be removed from websites if they are later acquitted. 

MugShots.com, in particular, offers a courtesy removal process in certain instances, although they vehemently protect these options as a mere courtesy, and not a legal requirement."

Michael J Robertson owns Mugshots.com
Michael Robertson owns Mugshots.com
Mike Robertson owns Mugshots.com

Who owns mugshots.com? Michael Robertson owns mugshots.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljrobertson

Michael Robertson Linkedin profile: 

Michael Robertson Founder & CEO, Mugshots.com
Miami, Florida (Miami/Fort Lauderdale Area) Information Technology and Services
Current job: Founder & CEO at Mugshots.com / Mugshots.com CEO
July 2011 Present (1 year 4 months)

"Within 18 months we were able to put together a team, buy a domain without a website, and turn it into a world's top 1,000 website destination.

To make contact visit Mugshots.com and contact via the website. For all Unpublishing inquiries contact UnpublishArrest.com or call 800-276-2540."

Michael Robertson's Skills & Expertise

TECHNICAL SKILLS:
OBJECT ORIENTED PERL
MICROSOFT SQL SERVER
SQL EMBEDDED SQL
DATABASES
DATA ANALYSIS
DATABASE DESIGN
DATA MINING

->>>>>> HELP SPREAD THE WORD! COPY AND PASTE THIS MESSAGE TO OTHER MESSAGE BOARDS IF YOU ALSO HAVE ISSUES WITH HOW MUGSHOTS.COM OPERATES.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 12/29/2012 01:36 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/mugshotscom/internet/mugshotscom-michael-robertson-michael-robertson-internet-988637. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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#1 Consumer Comment

Class Action Against Mugshot Websites

AUTHOR: Bloggy - (United States of America)

POSTED: Saturday, December 29, 2012

Class Action Against Mugshot Websites
http://counselor.pro/articles/class-action-against-mugshot-websites

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

Exceeds authorized access, and obtains information from a protected computer (18 USC 1030).

Transfers (screen scraping), possesses and uses (website), a means of identification mugshots (18 USC 1028A).

Steals public records, knowingly converts public records to his use and the use of others. Sells public records without authority.  Retains public records knowing they have been stolen (18 USC 641).

National Information Infrastructure Protection Act : Transmits advantages to foreign nations.

Criminally infringes name and likeness copyrights for the purpose of commercial advantage (website) and private financial gain (18 USC 2319 and 17 USC 506). Governmental Prima Facie Evidence of name and likeness copyright: State Certified Birth Certificate, State Drivers License, US Passport and other government documents and records created to identify and validate name and likeness.

Holds to involuntary servitude by electronic means (18 USC 1584).

Stalks, harasses, intimidates and causes substantial emotional distress (18 USC 2261A).

Internet Spyware (I-SPY) Prevention Act : Intentionally obtains and transmits to another person information with the intent to defraud (unpublish/repair reputation).

Transmits communication interstate with the intent to injure reputation to extort (unpublish/repair reputation), (18 USC 875).

As consideration for not informing demands money (unpublish/repair reputation), (18 USC 873).

Interstate collection of an unlawful debt (unpublish/repair reputation), (18 USC 1962).

A person(s) who receives, possesses, conceals, or disposes of any blackmail (unpublish/repair reputation) money (18 USC 880).

Search engines, hosting , reputation repair and consumer complaint companies aids and abets (18 USC 2), conceals felonies (18 USC 4).


Criminal Resource Manual 1663
Protection Of Public Records and Documents. The taking of a public record or document is prohibited by 18 U.S.C. 641.
DOJ. Retrieved from
http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/crm01663.htm

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