# Has a Camera Phone been used to convict a criminal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 8, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767 "2003-12-08T21:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/21 "2003-12-10T01:37:00Z")
[John Winger] “I took this job because I love people. There’s nothing I like more than meeting a person such as yourself, then taking a few ‘action photos’ while I drive.” [/John Winger] 🙂 > [@](#): > > how much do you feel you are in control of your car while you’re taking photos? **RussellM** - have you seen a camera cell phone? It’s a one-hand operation. Taking a picture is less dangerous than even punching in a phone number. I don’t even have to take my eyes off the road to hold the phone up and take a picture - I just hold it in front of my field of vision and push the buttons I’m already holding my fingers on. It’s less dangerous then even taking a call, since I’m not listening to anyone on the other end, disturbing my concentration. Assuming you have seen one, then I’m not sure what your repeated point is…unless it’s to make me nod knowingly at your sagely implication that I was creating as unsafe a driving condition as the guy chucking garbage out his window. If so, then MY GOD - YOU’RE RIGHT!!! What a **fool** I was!! I have learned a valuable lesson!! Valuable _indeed!!_ Touché, good sir - touché!! ::bows deeply to the wise **RussellM** :: ---
**Author:** ![aaelghat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/22 "2003-12-10T02:26:33Z")
One point to make with regards to doctoring images in Photoshop, is that (as has been stated) the method of sharing pictures is that after the photos are taken, they are uploaded to a website that the wireless carrier controls. With most (all?) models of phones, digitally tampering with the picture before it gets uploaded isn’t an option. ---
**Author:** ![RussellM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@RussellM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RussellM)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/23 "2003-12-11T14:31:49Z")
**Dooku** It’s good that you appear to have learned frm this experience. I’m glad to have played my part in making the roads a tiny bit safer. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/24 "2003-12-11T16:49:25Z")
A somewhat interesting case here in Washington, A man was using his phonecam to take upskirt photots at a grocery store. THe police were summoned and he was convicted based on the evidence on his own cell phone. ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/25 "2003-12-11T19:29:43Z")
Dooku – can you follow up on this? Have you contacted the police? I’d love to know if this guy got busted. (I think the asshole at the very least deserves a hefty fine and mandatory community service cleaning the roadways he help clutter with his trash.) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/26 "2003-12-11T20:16:39Z")
Heh. I was actually coming in here to post an update. When I called their non-emergency number, they said they had received _numerous_ calls about this guy. When I said I had a picture of him in the act with his plates, they simply asked me to confirm the license plate number they already had from other reports - so I did, and they thanked me and said appropriate action would be taken and they would contact me if they needed me again. So I wasn’t the only one who witnessed a guy that was a character out of that Carl Hiaasen novel. Now I’m off to drive home while looking backwards through binoculars. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![filmyak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@filmyak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmyak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/27 "2003-12-11T21:31:47Z")
I think you’re referring to ALL of Hiaasen’s novels. They all have that same character. =) And I’m kinda bummed that the cops weren’t thrilled about the pics. Ah well. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/28 "2003-12-11T21:43:38Z")
I read something awhile back about how in Japan they were having problems of people sticking the phone under a skirt, taking a picture, and running off. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767/29 "2003-12-12T19:48:33Z")
Not answering th OP, but very interesting if you try and take a picture of a criminal. I hope you can run fast. 😃 > [@](#): > > South Korea’s telecommunications minister recently decreed that all camera phones must emit a beep of at least 65 decibels when taking a photo, even when the phone was in silent mode. [http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/12/12/hungary.pics.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/12/12/hungary.pics.reut/index.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-camera-phone-been-used-to-convict-a-criminal/217767.md?page=1)