Is the Ada Sheriff Arrest Report Immoral?
Admit it. We have all scrolled through the Ada County Sheriffs' arrest report it at some point. Sometimes our motive is innocent, looking out of curiosity. We naturally want to sip the "tea."
The Ada County sheriff arrest report is a website that posts mugshots and arrests records of people who have been taken into custody. The information is open to the public and pictures are easily downloadable. Sometimes the mugshots can be intimidating, and sometimes they can be funny. When you look, you are often seeing that person at their worst moment.
It's important to remember that these mugshots are uploaded soon after the person arrives at the jail. Due process has not taken place, and most of the time the arrested individual has not yet had their day in court. In short, by the time their picture gets posted, they have not been found guilty of the offense they got arrested for in the court of law.
However, in the court of public opinion. Since anybody can download the picture and spread it via social media most of society assumes that the person in the mug shot is guilty, and then judgment follows.
Reputations can be shattered, jobs could be lost, and lives can be ruined. The assumption of guilt before guilt is proven can be dangerous. Imagine if you or your child was wrongfully arrested. The picture was posted and spread virally. A few day's later you were acquitted of any wrongdoing. Was the damage already done?
I'm not advocating the dismissal of the site. Even though some that appear in the arrest report might be innocent, I believe having access to such information is vital. It's up to us to remember that just because one appears on the site, it doesn't necessarily mean they are guilty of the crime.