Atlanta Criminal Lawyer Blog
You’ve been arrested. You hire an attorney and your charges are eventually dismissed. What’s next? Google your name and see if your mug shot appears. You might find your book-in photo on one or more of the seventeen different mug shot sites. If your charges were expunged, sealed or you are a juvenile or you were found not guilty, many of the sites will remove your mug shot for free. Otherwise, they will charge anywhere from $35.00 to as much as $400.00 to remove your photo. One site called jailbase.com will not remove your photo. It drops off automatically after 6 months. Several sites will remove your photo at no charge just by requesting it be removed.
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill recently dealing with companies that charge fees to remove mug shots. HB 150 states that in certain cases, if a person was arrested and had their photograph taken, it is to be removed within 30 days, free of charge when a written request is made and sent by certified mail, return receipt requested or by statutory overnight mail to the registered agent or principal place of business of the web site. This would apply to certain cases where the information was not to be disseminated to the public or private businesses pursuant to O.C.G.A. 35-3-34; cases that were never forwarded to the prosecuting attorney by the arresting law enforcement agency; cases that were forwarded for prosecution but were later dismissed; cases where the statute of limitations had run; cases that were no-billed two times; after indictment or accusation all charges were dismissed or nolle prossed; drug cases dismissed under O.C.G.A. 16-13-2 and cases where an individual was acquitted of all charges by a judge or jury.
Agencies exempt from this bill would include certain newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations.
Of course this bill would have to be passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor in order to become law.
You can read HB 150 at http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20132014/132552.pdf