RHONE: Hot or not, the public demand for mug shots is high despite consequences

In an interview with the magazine, Stewart downplayed her appearance, calling herself “a basic white girl,” an indication that she may have more self-awareness than the commenters who gave the attractive arrestee such a trite nickname when her booking photo went viral. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reached out to her attorney, Stephen R. Morris, with Morris Law, LLC in Madison, Georgia. “I am representing Ms. Stewart, but we have no comment at this time,” he said in an email Tuesday.

Stewart is currently one of the freshest faces on Mugshawtys, an Instagram account with 1.8 million followers that posts booking photos of women (mostly) along with their charges. In December, Mugshawtys produced an $85 photo book of Baes waiting for bail.

America has long held a fascination with mug shots and Mugshawtys is merely mirroring a practice from the mid-1800s when police departments began photographing prisoners and compiling the images in leather-bound books. Some police departments created physical photo galleries and invited the public to come in person to view criminal mug shots.

But once we entered the digital age, mug shots gained staying power and were accessible on websites long after charges were dismissed or time was served. Some websites turned a profit by charging arrestees a fee to remove their mug shots. When this cottage industry erupted in 2011, state lawmakers began to consider the consequences of sharing mug shots with the public.

Many people whose mug shots are circulated widely after an arrest suffer negative short- and long-term effects. Online archives of mug shots can impact career prospects and livelihood, years after a police encounter.

If you happen to be blessed with good genes, or if you’re a presidential candidate, it may be easier to overcome any negative consequences.

For the beautiful or powerful, a mug shot circulated on social media could be the ticket to reduced or dismissed charges, public sympathy and, in some cases, a financial windfall.

This is yet another reason to support limiting public access to mug shots, but several bills with bipartisan support in the state Legislature that would do so haven’t moved forward.

Most recently, House Bill 10, a measure that would prohibit law enforcement agencies from releasing booking photographs to the public before the subject has been convicted of a crime — with limited exceptions for news media organizations and law enforcement purposes — has stalled.

Stewart gained thousands of new followers on social media after her first arrest. In interviews, she said she bonded with her arresting officer as they vibed to electronica en route to the station. She also noted that she received multiple speeding tickets in the past and thought it was ridiculous to be arrested for driving too fast.

“Honestly, I don’t really think this will change my life,” she told People Magazine.

Credit: Getty Images

Credit: Getty Images

But that’s exactly what happened to some members of the hot mug shot club.

Prison Bae, aka Jeremy Meeks, received modeling offers before he completed his 27-month sentence for a 2014 grand theft and firearm possession conviction. The recommended sentence of 63 months was shortened so Meeks could capitalize on his viral fame, according to media reports. Meeks became a model, an actor and dated an heiress with whom he now shares a son.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old arrested in December and charged with the killing of the CEO of United Healthcare, was dubbed the “sexy slayer” upon the release of his mug shot and gained tens of thousands of social media followers even though his Instagram account appeared inactive since 2021.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Mangione’s groundswell of support has included “free Luigi” T-shirts and a defense fund that raised more than $200,000. While contributors have said they support Mangione’s constitutional right to fair legal representation, it likely doesn’t hurt that people think he is easy on the eyes.

Supporters of unrestricted public access to mug shots have said open access is needed for public safety, government transparency and free speech. Those are fair arguments, but they should be given careful consideration.

We can no longer assert that public viewing of mug shots, and by extension public humiliation, is an effective crime deterrent. Stewart is the perfect example of why that doesn’t work.

According to police reports, in the early morning hours of March 23, Stewart and her friends entered a campus building they knew was closed, setting off an alarm. As police approached the building, reports state Stewart fled the scene and hid behind a brick wall as the police detained her friends. The officers discovered fake IDs and evidence of underage drinking.

According to the police report, when Stewart was found and the officer explained why they were being held, Stewart said, “Was it the trespassing? Truly, that was actually my fault.” She had run away because she was “out on bond” she said, and “didn’t want to get caught doing anything bad.”

But she was caught … again … and the next day, a new mug shot of her smiling face was circling the internet.

Read more on the Real Life blog (www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/) and find Nedra on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn) and X (@nrhoneajc) or email her at nedra.rhone@ajc.com.