This post will answer some frequently asked questions on mug shots.
What happens in court if police showed a witness a photo of the accused?
If one of the witnesses in any given case testifies that the police showed the witness a photo of the defendant and jurors choose to accept that testimony, they are not allowed to draw any inferences against the defendant, because the police had his or her photograph.
Moreover, as police departments collect pictures of many people from many different sources and for many different reasons, it is not the responsibility of the jury to speculate what the reason was for the case in question.
Note that the fact that the police may have had the defendant’s picture does NOT mean that the defendant committed this or any other crime.
When can police get a photo of me?
The police may obtain pictures of people who:
- Arrested, even if later they found not guilty
- Have applied for identification cards
- Applied for hackney licenses (i.e. taxi license)
- Have applied for a gun permit
Courts must emphasize that such photographs appeared AFTER the defendant’s arrest.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME, AND YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCED CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER WORKING ON YOUR SIDE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY WILLIAM J. BARABINO.
CALL 781-393-5900 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR AVAILABLE DEFENSES.
Related Articles:
