Long Term Effects of Mugshots Online: An Analysis

Learning the long-term effects of mugshots online can be disturbing and hard to deal with. 

But if you wish to work toward a positive reputation, clearing negative content on Google starts by removing those images.

Long-term effects of mugshots online include anything from restricted employment opportunities and the inability to get a loan to difficulties buying an apartment/home. 

Even online dating efforts may feel it when your date decides to Google you.

So, we will discuss the long-term effects of online mugshots and what you can do about it. 

We are here to help anyone struggling with an online mugshot. If you are, please complete the form below to receive a 100% FREE MUGSHOT REMOVAL ANALYSIS.

 

How To Get Your Online Mugshot 

When police arrest and charge you with a criminal offense, you undergo the booking process. This is where officials document the incident and your details in the system.

During the booking process, police collect your mugshot and fingerprint for identification purposes.

And what you may not realize is that your mugshot may go public before you go to court. 

 

Long Term Effects of Mugshots

 

According to the Freedom Of Information Act, an arrest does not guarantee a right to privacy. 

For better or worse, the public has the right to know the nature and details of an arrest.

And once police take your mugshot, that image goes into a police database and is available for anyone to see. 

Mugshots = profit

Because of the information available, mugshots are now a major profit-making venture.

In fact, mugshot websites collect millions of arrest records and repost mugshots online. 

Mugshot websites profit from this by charging removal fees and selling ad space. 

Jailed.info is one such website, and good to reference if you were recently arrested.

Long Term Effects of Mugshots

Worried about the impact of a mugshot? You’re not alone.

According to Criminal Defense Attorney Brad Smith:

“Their [Clients] biggest concern isn’t necessarily the probation that they or going to receive or the judgment, or the fine, or the court costs. It’s more the lasting impact it is going to have on their professional development.” 

One mugshot, many downsides

One downside of living with a mugshot is that anyone with access to the internet can look up somebody’s criminal record

And detailing your criminal record is a common requirement on job applications, posing a major obstacle when it comes to finding work.  Reputation Defender 

 

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In fact, people with records often have a harder time getting new jobs or even accessing a decent education. 

According to NCLS, 1 in 3 adults have an arrest on their record. And in 2014, nearly 2 million people were lost from the workforce due to felony convictions. 

Anyone can find that mugshot… at any time

Whether it is a future employer or a potential date, anyone can search your criminal history (or advanced background check). Like a bad scar, it’s just not easy to get rid of. 

What’s even worse: you don’t even have to be guilty for your personal information to go public. Even if the case was dropped, your record will still show the charge.

Unfortunately, your record will show that charge until you seal the case. And that’s where expungement comes in.

Expungement is different than being found not guilty. When you expunge the case, you essentially remove the requested case from record as if it never existed. 

We’ll talk more about how to expunge your case later. 

 

How To Have Your Mugshot Removed

With the rise of the internet, more people can find anything they want online

And if you have personal information that you don’t want public, it’s important to act fast. 

Here are some solutions you can take to remove your private information.

Contact Website Administrator(s)

To get a mugshot removed from a website, you will need to contact a proper representative to guide you through their removal process. 

Find out how long it takes for mugshots to appear online. The problem with this is that you may not be dealing with only one website. 

Depending on how long your information has been available online, your mugshot could be in the hands of hundreds of mugshot websites.

 

Long Term Effects of Mugshots 3

 

Because mugshots are available in a public database, the number of websites that can find and post your personal information is endless. 

Keep in mind that most websites are not legally obligated to remove anything.

And while removal may be simple at first, there are many layers to consider.

Our Mugshot Removal Process 

Handling mugshot removals can be time-consuming and stressful. Luckily, there are mugshot removal companies that specialize in this service. 

The right removal team provides clients a team of experts to crawl the internet and identify where your information is.

And as a leader in mugshot removal, EraseMugshot.com delivers complete removal solutions that are proven to work. Most are completed within 72 hours! 

We offer a 100% removal guarantee. So, if we can’t remove your mugshot, you get your money back! 

Step 1: Analyze Web Presence

After you contact us, our team performs a comprehensive mugshot search online

Our removal specialists dig deep to uncover all arrest records, mugshots, booking information and more. 

And whether your information is on Mugshots.com, Arrests.org, or Rapsheetz.com, we remove that photo fast.

Step 2: Mugshot Solution

We guarantee all arrest record removals and complete each one quickly. 

We also offer various removal options for removing your info and restoring your online image.. 

Step 3: Clean Up

Once the mugshot websites accept our removal request and remove your photo, we alert search engines. 

Then, we request they remove every trace of that image from results pages – forever.

Step 4: Client Satisfaction

We work with our clients until they are 100% satisfied, meaning if we fail to complete your removal request then you are entitled to your money back. 

Our team provides 24/7 support so you can receive timely updates as we work on your mugshot removal solution. 

Also, we offer affordable monthly payments and other options that fit within your budget.

 

 

Expungement Process

As long as the details of the arrest were public information at the time of publication, these websites are under no obligation to remove information once it is published. 

If you decide to take legal action and have your case expunged, you might be able to get your mugshot removed for free. 

You will need to present the court order to the website and request removal of your information. They have no choice but to take down your information or face legal repercussions. 

If you are looking to take a step further and want to completely wipe your criminal case from your record – contact us and we can get you set up with the help of reliable legal assistance. 

 

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Don’t Wait! Contact Our Mugshot Removal Team Today

How you decide to handle your online personal information will strongly impact your life. 

Whether you decide to take on the task by yourself or request some help – take action now, be proactive with your online reputation. Don’t let your past dictate how your future will turn out. 

Erase Mugshots was launched to offer anyone and everyone a removal solution. There are no eligibility requirements, this means everyone is able to remove their negative content

We offer a total removal solution to arrest records and associated mugshot images online. All projects are 100% money-back guaranteed which is detailed in our Statement of Work. 

Are All Mugshots Public Record?

Are all mugshots public records? Learn more about mugshots, public records and what you can do to clean up your online image today. 

Are all mugshots public records?

Yes and no, depending on the nature and state of the charges.

For example, if you expunged your criminal charges from the record, those documents are no longer accessible to the public or the government.

Unfortunately, most mugshots and criminal records are public record, unless stated otherwise by the courts.

Many Americans struggle with online mugshots, even if they exist because of a wrongful arrest. But at EraseMugshots, we work to give you a second chance and help you regain your footing online.

In this article, we hope to provide you a better understanding of why mugshots are public records and how you can work to remove yours fast.

In the past, you had to visit your local courthouse to obtain legal documents, such as a mugshot, arrest record, or criminal background report. But in 2021, finding those embarrassing photos is all too easy.

Nearly anyone with an internet connection can locate your address, phone number, email, and other private info in just seconds. 

And thanks to the infamous websites like BustedMugshots or Mugshots.com, it is now just as easy to locate your mugshot on the web.

All you have to do is Google your name. Public mugshots can be found within minutes, and there are now a variety of free mugshot search tools at your disposal.

So, let’s dive into how this happened and where your personal information might be hiding online.

What is Public Record?

All court documents, from government cases to estate deeds, are usually public records. Such documents are registered by a government office and accessible to residents in the local community.

For example, if you’re interested in buying a new home, you can gather the previous owner’s name fairly quickly. You can generally do this by exploring county land reports at your district or county clerk building. And most of the time, these records can be found online. 

Yet, certain documents or data may be redacted because they qualify for privacy or confidentiality exemption clauses within a particular state or federal law.

For example, if you browse a free mugshot search tool or free mugshot lookup database, expunged records likely won’t show up.

Freedom of Information Act: How All Mugshots Are Public Record

In 1966, the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, became law. FOIA provides you the freedom to collect public records from a federal agency. This even includes the U.S. State Department.

This is despite whether the agency generated or collected those records. And to obtain this data, you must send a signed application or request to the agency in question. 

Additionally, you must describe the data you want to obtain in great detail. Truth be told, there is no special form. All you have to do is ask.

Under the FOIA, you can inquire about any public records created or gathered by that specific agency. You may also be asked to pay a fee, although this is rare.

are all mugshots public record

Exclusions From FOIA & Public Mugshots

Your freedom to collect reports under FOIA is not without limits. This is why most free mugshots search tools are still around today. There are no laws banning them from distributing your image online.

Certain documents may be excluded from public records under special conditions. For instance, busted mugshots Arizona data will remove any dismissed cases or expunged records upon request.

Mugshots remain public until you expunge or seal your case. Otherwise, it would end in an unwanted invasion of privacy or become a violation of national security.

Using Free Mugshot Lookup Tools to Update Inmate Mugshots

Commonly, a public record is a report filed with any particular city, county, state, or federal office. In layman’s terms, public records are simply official documents that anyone can access.

Public records also come in many forms. These can include anything from maps and recordings to films, photographs, tapes, software, letters, books, and more. 

Court records are a popular version of public records. For instance, if you discover that your next-door neighbor was once convicted for a violent domestic charge, you can request a copy of that court record to learn more about the event.

However, in some cases, these findings can only be found online. 

Florida and Maryland permit the general public to search for the following within their database:

  • Civil
  • Criminal
  • & Traffic Records

You can hunt online for a person’s name, case number, or home address.

What’s more: you can even obtain copies of transcripts from your hearing and trial (Florida only). Additionally, you can use the internet to find bankruptcy info using the national database called PACER.

stack of criminal record binders
Mugshots Public Record

Why Are Mugshots Public Record Even Before the Verdict?

Mugshots can help searchers trying to find people who are on the run. Mugshots can also warn locals about dangerous individuals once they’ve been released or potentially pose a threat.

So, there is a good reason to share some mugshots.

Our justice system helps ensure transparency, as demanded by the Constitution. Any attempt to hold mugshots privately would end in lawsuits by those affected. 

That said, a 2016 federal court ruling ordered federal mugshots to be no longer accessible under the federal FOIA. However, this did not change much.

This is somewhat the perception of the harm that mugshots can create when online. The court clearly states websites that put mugshots online in its analysis. Mugshots.com being one of the leading mugshot publication websites was included on that list.

Some states have passed laws to limit the number of mugshots prior to a conviction. One of these states is New Jersey.

The entire idea of public records is to bypass the government from collecting money from people. It’s also to restrict the abuse of power. 

It was understood that making records public would better protect individuals.

But, it may also still create significant harm in our current digital era.

The internet goes both ways: people want to be able to locate whatever information they want. But when the information makes them look bad, there is an uproar.

As U. S. citizens, we have the freedom to identify problems and express ourselves almost without limit. 

But allowing others to post negatively about you online can have serious consequences. This includes mugshot sites, which can cause you lasting emotional, financial and career damage. 

Remove Free Public Criminal Record Checks

Mugshots normally begin to surface online at about two weeks after the arrest. Approaching these mugshot publications immediately provides you leverage while helping to remove criminal documents from public records.

With advanced background checks, it is possible that your criminal history will one day reveal itself. Websites such as WhitePages or Spokeo reveal everything from your name, criminal history, relatives, home addresses, and more.

Removing online mugshots and public records is our business.

What’s more: Our mugshot removal team takes steps to de-index those negative links from search results immediately following your mugshot removal

Generally, it takes Google a week to refresh its search results and show a clean online image.

Read more about how to remove your mugshots and arrest records in Florida.

mugshots

Remove Public Mugshots Today with EraseMugshots

There are many reasons why you would want to restore your background report to its former glory and clean up bad search results. 

To learn more about how to remove public records and mugshots online, please fill out the form below. Our team will contact you as soon as possible.

Learn how to effectively remove mugshots online (especially those on busted mugshots Arizona).