The Daily Ping

FROM: Chris [E-Mail]
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 11:08:00 am

I've got a major problem with that page. It shows people that have been arrested and charged - not necessarily convicted of anything. I think there is a due process issue in publishing photos in a clear attempt to brand them as guilty when in fact, they aren't yet guilty of anything - other than maybe very poor fashion sense for most of them.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 12:05:05 pm

I agree with Chris entirely. These people have not been convicted of anything, and yet, they are being punished. They have not had a hearing, they have not sought legal counsel, they have not pleaded, and they have not been found guilty, nor have they been sentenced to punishment. Why punish them by publishing their photo, name and address on the internet for all to see forever?

Even if these people are found guilty and sentenced to a proper punishment, the fact remains that their name, address and photo will always be out in cyberspace long after they've served their time.

Sure, there may be a few sexual predators on this list from time to time. But get a look at most of these people. Notice anything? They're not particularly attractive and many (most) of them are overweight. Let's venture a guess as to how many of them are unemployed and so have security to offer to a woman (which can make up for physical shortcomings, as we all know).

This bullying of the bullied outrages me.

Absolutely, there are many people out there who would take the opposite view: these guys take advantage of women who turn to prostitution because they have no other alternatives or options, and therefore, should be punished.

That's fine--but after a hearing and a conviction. That's when one of these guys gets a chance to face his accuser.

I've been around the block long enough to know that some of these poor schlubs photographed on this site didn't do anything but look at a cop funny. Imagine the power. As a police officer, all you have to do to embarass someone and visit all kinds of personal turmoil onto them is to charge them with soliciting prostitution. Who cares if they go free after a hearing? The damage is done.

FROM: Rob [E-Mail]
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 2:32:39 pm

Huh. And I always thought it was this one.

FROM: Ryan [E-Mail]
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 2:33:06 pm

Good points.

I was particuarly bothered by the inclusion of addresses which could lend itself to vigilante justice.

FROM: Paul
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 2:34:29 pm

Rob, that totally ruined my day.

Ryan, at least the addresses are partially munged... but it'd be trivial to figure out where these folks did live.

FROM: Joseph
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 4:17:00 pm

. . . so have security . . .

Edit: . . . so have no security . . .

Rob: Good One. I wonder if there's a way to freeze that link so the joke stays after the website changes.

FROM: snaily
DATE: Friday July 1, 2005 -- 5:41:10 pm

i agree with joseph and chris

FROM: Adam [E-Mail]
DATE: Sunday July 3, 2005 -- 9:19:33 pm

Guess it could be worse. In Oakland, they put the pictures up on a 10-by-22-foot billboard.