# Mugshots can tell you a lot... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335 "2012-01-31T19:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/21 "2012-02-01T08:52:58Z")
There sure are a lot of people in Florida with dreadlocks. Or criminals, at least. Especially ones who also have grills. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/22 "2012-02-01T08:55:20Z")
My, that is a hell of a duckface ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Room](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_room/32/5069_2.png) [@Little\_Room](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Room)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/23 "2012-02-01T12:46:04Z")
The really bad pictures are on the sex offender registries. They must run those pictures through a “creepy skuzz” Photoshop filter. I personally know people on those lists, and they don’t look nearly as “a grease rendering facility exploded into my hair/please climb into my creepy van with a stained mattress in the back” in real life as they do in the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/24 "2012-02-01T14:08:31Z")
Since we’re just pointing and laughing and not actually debating/discussing something, I’ll move this to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/25 "2012-02-01T14:18:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [WTF](http://florida.arrests.org/tagged.php?flag=WTF) is even scarier, especially the [62-year-old white guy with the Mike Tyson facial tattoo.](http://florida.arrests.org/search.php?fname=John&fpartial=True&lname=Cotton&minage=62&maxage=62&sex=&startdate=&enddate=&county=&chargecode=&Search=Search) To the 19 yr. old in the first row: Your mug shot is creepy enough. Don’t make a kissy face. It just makes it worse. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/26 "2012-02-01T14:19:42Z")
Unlike the sex offender registry what is served by making mugshots from arrests public? ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/27 "2012-02-01T14:24:41Z")
[Why even take a mugshot?](http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Lafleur_Mohamed_5650561/) Would be hard to identify in a lineup ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/28 "2012-02-01T15:42:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [WTF](http://florida.arrests.org/tagged.php?flag=WTF) is even scarier, especially the [62-year-old white guy with the Mike Tyson facial tattoo.](http://florida.arrests.org/search.php?fname=John&fpartial=True&lname=Cotton&minage=62&maxage=62&sex=&startdate=&enddate=&county=&chargecode=&Search=Search) The two years between April 2008 and August 2010 were not kind to that dude. I this may be another case of the OP’s “Meth is, truly, a hell of a drug.” ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/29 "2012-02-01T22:10:19Z")
I note that Florida has Casey Anthony tagged as “Celebrity”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/30 "2012-02-01T23:45:44Z")
I like the zombie one here: [http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Merle\_Wilkinson\_5952455/?d=1](http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Merle_Wilkinson_5952455/?d=1) And, wow, this guy apparently got popped with TEN COUNTS of drug paraphernalia possession. Ouch. I assumed two bongs would just be one count. Ouchy. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/31 "2012-02-03T03:50:54Z")
Saw [this guy](http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/teg/tsg/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/750x970/documents/dmilam1.jpg)before and thought he looked a bit odd. [This guy](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_JmpkIMgnzIE/SkvbZ69aHYI/AAAAAAAAhGE/3s5YUEeUTOA/s400/20+Most+Bizarre+Mugshots+ever+10.jpg) too stood out. ---
**Author:** ![missinformation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@missinformation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missinformation)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/32 "2012-02-04T03:40:37Z")
Scary thing is, alot of these people were my patients!!! The joys of working in mental health… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/33 "2012-02-04T03:48:14Z")
> [@67java89](#): > > [Why even take a mugshot?](http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Lafleur_Mohamed_5650561/) > > Would be hard to identify in a lineup [They took a new one.](http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110729/ARTICLES/110729467) ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/34 "2012-02-04T14:10:43Z")
> [@Mr.Slant](#): > > I like the zombie one here: > [http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Merle\_Wilkinson\_5952455/?d=1](http://florida.arrests.org/Arrests/Merle_Wilkinson_5952455/?d=1) > > And, wow, this guy apparently got popped with TEN COUNTS of drug paraphernalia possession. > Ouch. I assumed two bongs would just be one count. Ouchy. Reminds me a bit of [Peter Dinklage](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2573254400/nm0227759). ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335/35 "2012-02-04T17:55:13Z")
I always wondered if there is some kind of conformation bias with sex offenders. I mean, you check out the Megans Law webside, and see a whole lotta creepos. But do we interpret them as ‘creepy’ because we know they committed sex offenses with minors? Or would they ping our ‘creepy’ radar regardless? I think _knowing_ the person committed a crime, particularly a heinous one, really affects our perception. Or maybe only fugly people get arrested 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mugshots-can-tell-you-a-lot/611335.md?page=1)