Hello Teeming Millions!
I have been watching TruTV lately and enjoying stupidest criminals etc, Now can anyone else to me why sometimes the criminals face is blurred out, and others not?
The main thing which confuses me, is on half the clips you plainly see the person rob the store… and then their mugshot, which makes sense. However other times the person hasn’t been caught yet…and it states that the police hope they will catch him/her soon, and yet their face is completely blurred out. How exactly are they expecting to find the person, if they don’t show the persons face?
I could understand if they “believed” it was this person (then showed a picture of said person) as they have not been convicted yet, innocent until proven guilty applies. Although having said that if you are not naming names, the only person who could be mad at you from showing their face on television… would be the criminal in question, so you could just wait to get sued by the guy?!?
It makes no sense so please can anyone enlighten me?
I believe those that have their faces blurred did not sign a release form to allow them to be broadcast.
Those that are not obscured signed the form and may very well have been compensated for it.
I could be wrong though.
I asked this question to a friend, and this is the answer he gave me:
If the criminal has already been on trial and charged, they can show the face. If they haven’t been convicted or if the trial is still in progress, then the face needs to be blurred out.
I don’t remember which friend told me this, so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this answer. At any rate, it’s worth considering.
Thanks for the replies, they both make sense, however, since you cant profit from a crime, would you be allowed to be compensated to be shown committing it?
And, Also if it was based on a lack of conviction, how would wanted posters be allowed? or how would America’s Most Wanted show any relevant footage to help catch the person?
The only thing i can guess is it changes on a state by state basis or something equally annoying.
I’ve heard that, at least with COPS, that people have to sign a release but there’s no compensation. People just sign it because they want to be on TV.