Pasco mom sues over attractive arrest photo

[The Straight Story]

A 28-year-old mother of four has filed a lawsuit against a background check website, saying the company used her attractive arrest booking photo for commercial and advertising purposes without compensating her or getting her permission.

Meagan Simmons, of Zephyrhills, filed the lawsuit in Hillsborough County Court against InstantCheckmate.com.

Simmons claims in the lawsuit that the image’s exposure has disturbed her peace of mind, invaded her privacy and caused her mental anguish. The suit seeks monetary damages and an injunction to prevent further use of her picture.

According to the lawsuit, Simmons’ image popped up on countless websites where she was branded “a hot convict.”

http://tbo.com/news/crime/pasco-mom-sues-over-attractive-arrest-photo-20140228/

[shenmue]

1. I hate it when that happens

[treestar]

2. I sonde who owns arrest photos

It may be that she has no rights to her own image in that context. It would be interesting to find out how this lawsuit pans out.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

13. Admitting my ignorance of the law I'll still offer that

while booking photos are public this is a private commercial concern using public property for personal profit. On those grounds alone I would imagine she is entitled to a cease and desist ruling. The company should compensate her for profits derived from using her likeness without her permission.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Well she does look pretty good in the picture.

Not exactly a mug shot.

[dionysus]

4. i've seen her ad many times, esp on FB, and even here i think!

[The Straight Story]

5. This is a follow up to a thread from last may:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022788499

[dionysus]

7. i remember that thread, too. nt

[snooper2]

10. She is now forever a meme, and wants to do playboy LOL

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/meagan-simmons-attractive_n_3045604.html

[treestar]

15. They lucked out

They could have used a model.

Or for that matter, a mug shot almost should look bad, so the whole concept is a bit off.

She can use it as springboard for a modeling career. Which would be an odd thing to come out of an arrest, but oh well. The lawsuit gives her some publicity.

[sufrommich]

6. Good for her,who wants their life whittled

down to "hot convict" for all the world to see. It's incredibly demeaning.

[denverbill]

8. I've seen her photo about a million times. Personally I think using them this way sucks.

Using a public record photo should not be allowed for a for-profit website's ads. It's one thing if a news website is posting it as part of an article that will move off it's front page in a day or so. It's quite another for this poor girl to be publicly humiliated year after year.

Any person's image used in an ad should require compensation and agreement from the person.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. It's wrong for people to do that.

I don't even think they should post the pictures online at all. If people want to see pictures of people thrown in jail, they should have to go down to the jail and look them up. Just because a person makes a mistake doesn't mean they should be humiliated by those images that can be seen by anybody in the world. It's one thing to post written records, but pictures should remain at the jail and available upon request.

[snooper2]

11. I don't think so, then we wouldn't get great pictures like this!

[LuvNewcastle]

12. Where's his orange jumpsuit?

The rest of us proles not only look our worst in those mug shots (usually), but they make us change into those awful orange clothes before they take the picture. They might as well make people wear a clown suit. I just don't think it's right to have that shit posted on the internet. Once it's there, it's there forever. Besides, I think people are entitled to a little anonymity in life unless they choose to document it on Facebook like a lot of people do. People aren't going to post pictures of themselves all disheveled and wearing ugly clothes on Facebook anyway.

[uppityperson]

14. After doing a quick image search, wtf? I'd be pissed too.