Maricopa County, Arizona – Mugshots of people arrested for Maricopa County It will no longer be published on the Sheriff's Office website.

All booking photos were then removed on Monday, September 9th. Sept. 5 ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The judges ruled that mugshots posted online could subject people to public exposure and humiliation before they are sentenced.

“These identified photos are often collected by other Internet sites and are therefore removed from the county website even if those arrested were never charged, let alone convicted. The result is public exposure and humiliation of pre-trial detainees. Our problem is with Maricopa County posting photos of those arrested. The question is whether this policy is constitutionally permissible,'' the judge said in the ruling.

The case stems from a man named Brian Houston suing the sheriff's office. He was arrested by Phoenix police in 2022 on assault charges.

In his complaint, he says his business and personal reputation has been permanently damaged by his online mug shot.

The mugshots posted on the site were visible for three days and included personal information such as date of birth, height, and weight.

The court said Houston was not charged with this charge, which was later dropped.