Amanda Martin Quoted on Mugshot Law

Monday, Tyler Dukes (twitter) posted an article to WRAL.com analyzing the proposed impact of a legislative proposal to regulate mug shot publications.

The article, which provides a great overview of the proposal, quotes SMVT partner Amanda Martin on the proposal:

Amanda Martin, a Raleigh attorney who often represents media organizations such as WRAL News, said she has little sympathy for sites that charge for mug shot removal, but she said the removal measure would create a massive constitutional issue.

“The fact of the matter is the publication of truthful information is protected by the First Amendment,” Martin said. “If an individual is charged with a crime and a photograph is taken associated with that charge, that is legitimate public information. There should be no restriction on the publication of that information.”

Read the full article here.