General Question

elbanditoroso's avatar

Should brothel customers (i.e. people who go to prostitutes) have their identities kept secret when arrested and in court?

Asked by elbanditoroso (33561points) January 24th, 2024

Apparently in Boston some high end customers of a chain of brothels want to keep their identities secret.

I thought arrests were public and should be visible to anyone who cares to look.

Should customers arrested for using brothels be anonymous?

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21 Answers

Dutchess_III's avatar

Not unless they keep the prostitute’s identity secret too.

seawulf575's avatar

Here in Wilmington NC, they put mugshots online. All arrestees.

smudges's avatar

No, they should be published like any other lawbreaker.

cookieman's avatar

It is the risk you take when doing something illegal. Whether or not it should be illegal is another conversation.

Of course, you could go to Vegas.

smudges's avatar

Whether or not it should be illegal is another conversation.

Thank you. I couldn’t take the time to put into words what I was thinking.

Forever_Free's avatar

Ask Robert Kraft. He was simply getting a massage. :)

What is at question in this example is about pre-trial “show cause” hearing. Most “show cause” hearings of any sort are typically held behind closed doors to determine whether there is enough evidence to move forward with prosecution.
Their names will still appear on a docket which is all public record. In this specific example, I would side on “not open to public for “show cause” hearings. Prosecution trials are still up to the judge on whether it is open to public/media.
In the end it is all on record. It’s about making a SHOW out of it.

Forever_Free's avatar

@cookieman It is illegal in Las Vegas. One has to go out of the county.
Nevada State law prohibits any county with a population of at least 700,000 people from allowing prostitution. All kinds of prostitution, including brothels, are prohibited in Las Vegas.

SnipSnip's avatar

No. When one breaks a law, that is a crime against society and should always be public.

Smashley's avatar

Their identities should be kept secret when they are arrested. Public record, but not for media release, due to the necessary harm it creates without meeting any standard of evidence. Arrest is far different than being, formally charged or convicted, and requires a much lower standard of evidence.

The use of mugshots as a weapon against the (sometimes innocent) citizenry, through the exploitation industry of media and online extortionists, is immoral and must end. After formal charges are brought, I am ok with their faces being released, though it would be better if they waited until those charges to take the official release mugshot. It would at least give people time to sober up and fix their hair before being accused in public.

Prostitution should also not be illegal, but that’s a different question.

Dutchess_III's avatar

How do you know they …don’t meet any standard of evidence @Smashley?

Smashley's avatar

@Dutchess_III I’m saying the harm of blasting a person’s mugshot all over creation, happens regardless of the evidence. To arrest a person requires only a reasonable suspicion of having committed a crime. Their mugshot goes in the newspapers and websites regardless of evidence. They lose their jobs, reputation, etc, based on this very low standard.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I C. Thanks.

Caravanfan's avatar

First of all, brothels should be legal everywhere
Second, people accused of crimes should have a right to privacy. Just because someone is arrested of a crime does not mean they are guilty.

LadyMarissa's avatar

According to the article Allowing the media to attend these proceedings will undermine their integrity and usurp their purpose. My Q would be WHAT integrity??? They showed that they had NONE!!! Where I live, there is a weekly criminal newspaper published complete with the mug shot & crime accused of doing. As long as the poor people are subjected to being embarrassed, I see NO reason why the wealthy should be treated differently. I think it was 45 whining about the 2 tiered justice system we have & how everyone should be treated equally!!! If they don’t want to be outed, they should be home with the wife!!!

MrGrimm888's avatar

I think that in some cases, laws were made to embarrass people who were committed crimes. The problem, of course, everyone commits crime.
And as mentioned above, you are innocent, until proven guilty in a court of law.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

It some places it is called “Shame the John !!”

Blackberry's avatar

It’s not hard to find that stuff out, anyway. Spouses aren’t dumb, they just ignore things, especially if the cheater makes a lot of money.

MrGrimm888's avatar

Money makes everything better.
#CREAM.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@LadyMarissa My Q would be WHAT integrity??? That is assuming they’re guilty with no question.
I got arrested once for something I didn’t do. Spent the night in jail. Miserable.

Pandora's avatar

No. If it’s an illegal activity in that state then they should be named. You can’t have half a crime. If the prostitutes are doing something that is deemed illegal then the person hiring them should also face consequences. When drug dealers get in trouble so does the drug user when busted.

Besides the prostitute is usually a victim that was exploited early in life. The men who hire them are why they are victims, to begin with. Many times not caring if they are underage.

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