I was watching COPS last night and got to wondering why some people’s faces are blurred out and some aren’t. Do the suspects have to sign waivers allowing them to be shown on tv? Are the people shown on COPS only shown after their trials and only if found guilty?
My SO suggested that the people blurred out have pending cases against them or they were not found guilty.
Can someone give me the SD?
COPS has a spoken disclaimer at the opening of each episode to the effect that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. My understanding (from an article I read about COPS when it hit the airwaves a million years ago) is that the producers could show the faces of anyone they tape since allegedly commiting a crime makes the taped person enough of a “public figure” that their right to privacy is overcome, but they only show the faces of those people who do sign releases.
That’s my understanding too, Otto. What I can’t understand for the life of me is why someone would sign a release that allows themselves to be shown on TV as a drunken jackass or whatever. Maybe it’s a dumbshit right of passage or something like a gangsters first stay in prison.
Haj
No, it’s probably more along the lines of “Woo hoo! I’m on the TV! Look at me! Wooo!”
Maybe they get paid if they sign a release. Could help with the bail money. 
Here is the official COPS forums, somebody there might know:
Lissa got it right. It’s more along the lines of “Woo hoo! I’m on the TV! Look at me! Wooo!” NPR interviewed the person who got people to sign releases. Fame motivated most of the susects to sign. They gave one example where a guy who was charged with possession with intent to sell would only sign a release if they let him play guitar on the show (for some reason, he thought this might be his big break into show business.) They filmed him playing (or trying, they said he was terrible) while the cops tore his apartment apart looking for evidence.
I had always hoped that some people were motivated to sign the release so that others could better learn from their mistakes. Maybe I’m just an optimist about human nature?