Named and shamed

Published on June 23, 2005 By dharmagrl In Current Events

www.chicagopolice.org

That's a link to the Chicago PD's website. There's a link on there to the 'John's Hall Of Fame'. Men who have been arrested soliciting prostitues for sexual favors have their mugshots posted on the internet for everyone to see.

I'm in two minds about this.

On the one hand, I think that it might go a long way to cut down on the amount of solicitation. The shame factor might play a big part...

On the other hand, what happened to being innocent until proven guilty? Yes, there's a disclaimer on the web page, but.....the court of public opinion doesn't really care about that. They see a person's face on the site under the heading 'Johns' and they automatically assume he's going to be found guilty.

What do YOU think?

Comments

foreverserenity

on Jun 23, 2005

I always wondered about this myself too. I've seen the sting operations on television or heard about them on the news. One of the things that bothers me is the "entrapment" factor. Of course no good man having a wife should be caught in this type of situation but most times they are married!

Dr Guy

on Jun 23, 2005

I think that prostitution should not be illegal.

But since it is, I think this is funny as hell! So what? Unless the guys are married, the worst they are going to get is some ribbing around the water cooler.

Dr Guy

on Jun 23, 2005

Hey, and how about the Jerado Galan! That's a guy?

Janders

on Jun 23, 2005

We have that in MN also. I remember in college My roomates and I were looking at the site and one saw his Jr. high principal on it... That has to be shaming!

dynamaso

on Jun 23, 2005

Personally, I think this is wrong and an invasion of the 'John's' privacy. Like Dr Guy, I believe prostitution should be legalised. After all, it is only serving a community need.

Cheers,

Maso

bakerstreet

on Jun 23, 2005

"But since it is, I think this is funny as hell! So what? Unless the guys are married, the worst they are going to get is some ribbing around the water cooler.

People have families even if they aren't married. Would be lovely for your mother's friends to send her to the website...

I think it is an extra punishment not legislated, and handed down by the police, and therefore inappropriate. The police don't punish people. It isn't in their contitutional mandate.

When lawmakers set the penalties for crimes, those where the penalties that were intended. If they had wanted public shaming to be part of it, they would have made it part of it.

If these people want public shaming to be a penalty, they need to contact their legislator and make it so. I don't care if your arrest record is a matter of public record or not. If the police go out of their way to publish it, then they are handing out punishment, which isn't their job.

I think it is your average pigishness. There's good cops, and...

dharmagrl

on Jun 24, 2005

I don't care if your arrest record is a matter of public record or not. If the police go out of their way to publish it, then they are handing out punishment, which isn't their job.

It's public record, yes, but it's not advertised the way this is. I mean, the CPD had a freakin' PRESS CONFERENCE to announce this, for crying out loud! I understand their motivations for doing such a thing....they're trying to give fair warning to anyone who intends to solicit prostitutes: 'get caught doing that here, and we're going to plaster your mugshot on the internet'....but, as you say, it's not the police department's job to hand out punishments. They're there to enforce and uphold the law....

Unless the guys are married, the worst they are going to get is some ribbing around the water cooler.

I think it's a lot more than that. I think it has the potential to adversly affect their careers, their social lives, their relationships with their children (if they have any)....the potential for devastation is huge.

dharmagrl

on Jun 24, 2005

Hey, and how about the Jerado Galan! That's a guy?

Yeah, I saw a few on there that made me wonder about their gender...or lack thereof.

My roomates and I were looking at the site and one saw his Jr. high principal on it... That has to be shaming!

Not only shaming, but potentially career ending. I know I'd have some issues if MY child's principal was busted trolling hookers for sexual favors.

Personally, I think this is wrong and an invasion of the 'John's' privacy.

The more I think about it, the more I agree with you. Yes, they shouldn't be out there doing it, but...

Gene Nash

on Jun 24, 2005

I think it is an extra punishment not legislated, and handed down by the police, and therefore inappropriate. The police don't punish people. It isn't in their contitutional mandate.

It does smack of judge, jury, and executioner.

A town in CA is putting up billboards of johns' mugshots. When I saw that, I thought it would be cool to do a parody billboard as a publicity stunt.

Any bets on how long till someone puts up a fake "caught johns" site and puts all their enemies' pictures on it?

(Hmm... maybe I shouldn't have put that into the ether...)

dharmagrl

on Jun 24, 2005

Any bets on how long till someone puts up a fake "caught johns" site and puts all their enemies' pictures on it?

(Hmm... maybe I shouldn't have put that into the ether.

Way to put ideas in people's heads, Gene! LOL LOL LOL

You're right, it DOES seem as if the PD are playing the role of the entire judicial process....

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