Woman behind 'attractive convict' mug shot sues for invasion of privacy
49 replies, posted
[img]http://www.tampabay.com/resources/images/dti/rendered/2014/02/0433093828_12656880_8col.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.tampabay.com/resources/images/dti/rendered/2014/02/0433093415_12656488_8col.jpg[/img]
[quote]
In the early hours of July 25, 2010, a Hillsborough jail deputy snapped a routine booking photo of Meagan Simmons, who had been arrested on a DUI charge. In the picture, her head appeared slightly and seductively cocked. Her hair, tousled just the right way. Her eyes, hazel and piercing.
The mug shot turned out like a glamor shot, and it launched a thousand memes. "Guilty of taking my breath away." "This is what a model inmate looks like." "Arrested for breaking and entering your heart." On countless websites, Simmons, 28, became known as the "attractive convict."
None of this escaped her notice. Last year, the mother of four from Zephyrhills tweeted "look who made the cut!" when her photo was part of an Inside Edition special about hot mug shots. She did interviews with the Huffington Post and the Daily Mail in April. There was even chatter she'd pose for Playboy if given the opportunity.
This week, however, she indicated she's had enough publicity. In a lawsuit filed in Hillsborough County, Simmons accused the background check website InstantCheckmate.com of using her picture for commercial and advertising purposes, without compensating her or even getting her permission.
Simmons declined to comment to the Tampa Bay Times and spoke through her attorney, Matthew Crist.
"At the end of the day, this is actually about intellectual property," Crist said. "If someone is going to use your image, they need to pay you for it."
He likened the issue to Colgate using Tom Cruise's image to sell toothpaste without his permission.
Interest in the photo simmered up in August 2012, when a compilation of images was posted to men's interest site the Chive under the headline: "Who knew mugshots could be so attractive." From there, Simmons' face made its way through various photo sharing sites. On April 3, a user named Vestra on Reddit posted her picture with the caption, "Can I have her cell number." Another user quickly followed with "I guess it's true, looks do kill." It went on from there.
Even today, Simmons has a strong social media presence — she has 1,182 Instagram followers and 2,434 Twitter followers. She told the Daily Mail last year she didn't much like the photo that has become so admired.
"I don't think it's that good a picture. There are other ones I would prefer," she said in the Daily Mail story.
So why does Simmons have an issue with the exposure now, when before she seemed to embrace it?
The distinction, Crist said, is that InstantCheckmate.com is using her image for obvious financial gain. The other pictures floating around are more for fun and enjoyment.
An InstantCheckmate.com ad attached to the lawsuit shows Simmons' photo with the caption "Sometimes the cute ones aren't that innocent." The Checkmate logo is displayed next to a button that says "check now."
InstantCheckmate.com did not return a call for comment.
In the suit, Simmons alleges the exposure has disturbed her peace of mind, invaded her privacy and caused her anguish. The suit seeks monetary damages and an injunction to prevent further use of her picture.[/quote]
[url]http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/zephyrhills-woman-in-attractive-convict-mugshot-files-suit/2167688[/url]
Well, I suppose that's fair.
She is p. cute though
I'd tap it, after I gave her a full background check.
[QUOTE=Lord Xenoyia;44102376]She is p. cute though[/QUOTE]
Yeah, it's pretty rare to see someone who actually looks good in a mugshot.
Totally fair for her to do
[QUOTE=ratman;44102444]I'd tap it, after I gave her a full background check.[/QUOTE]
thanks for telling us
It was only a DUI charge, not like she killed someone.
I'd check out [I]her [/I]background
Hope she wins, using someones mugshot in your advertising without compensation is pretty scummy.
I'd take her right to the slammer
[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;44102799]thanks for telling us[/QUOTE]
what is sarcasm
[QUOTE=asteroidrules;44102460]Yeah, it's pretty rare to see someone who actually looks good in a mugshot.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, usually it's someone with a black eye or something giving a thousand yard stare.
[QUOTE=Rents;44103429]Yeah, usually it's someone with a black eye or something giving a thousand yard stare.[/QUOTE]Or a rabid meth head from Florida.
[QUOTE=Green Fishy 2;44103533]AMSPAM[/QUOTE]
green fishy y u do dis?
[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;44102799]thanks for telling us[/QUOTE]
Whenever somebody publicly says a woman is sexually attractive, Max is always there to tell them how much of a sexist pig they are. Max you make the feminists on tumblr look sane, cool your jets bro. Girls are allowed to be attractive.
[QUOTE=ATribeCalledQ;44104494]Whenever somebody publicly says a woman is sexually attractive, Max is always there to tell them how much of a sexist pig they are. Max you make the feminists on tumblr look sane, cool your jets bro. Girls are allowed to be attractive.[/QUOTE]
b-but that doesn't justify men saying they want to have sex with her!!! >:(
[QUOTE=ATribeCalledQ;44104494]Whenever somebody publicly says a woman is sexually attractive, Max is always there to tell them how much of a sexist pig they are. Max you make the feminists on tumblr look sane, cool your jets bro. Girls are allowed to be attractive.[/QUOTE]Tbh it gets tiresome after a while that any thread involving any remotely attractive woman is just a constant stream of "i'd do her". That much is usually plainly obvious at the start of the thread, we honestly don't need every other post to be a Pornhub-like reminder that there's a horde of people in the thread beating off to her.
[QUOTE=Sgt Doom;44105147]Tbh it gets tiresome after a while that any thread involving any remotely attractive woman is just a constant stream of "i'd do her". That much is usually plainly obvious at the start of the thread, we honestly don't need every other post to be a Pornhub-like reminder that there's a horde of people in the thread beating off to her.[/QUOTE]
Every other post? Pornhub like reminder? Its just a bunch of jokes and puns like in every single news article posted here
[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;44102799]thanks for telling us[/QUOTE]
[I]whoosh[/I]
how was her mugshot even released, is it public records or was it leaked?
[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;44102799]thanks for telling us[/QUOTE]
Who do you think you're getting offended over a joke for
[QUOTE=Gustafa;44102908]It was only a DUI charge, not like she killed someone.[/QUOTE]
[I]Only[/I] a DUI? What the fuck dude, that's unforgivable
[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;44102799]thanks for telling us[/QUOTE]
I knew there would be a post by lil' Maxime here somewhere
Also DUI, not wifey material
[QUOTE=ATribeCalledQ;44104494]Whenever somebody publicly says a woman is sexually attractive, Max is always there to tell them how much of a sexist pig they are. Max you make the feminists on tumblr look sane, cool your jets bro. Girls are allowed to be attractive.[/QUOTE]
yo let's be real here there's a difference between saying "hey she's cute" or "i find her sexually attractive" and "i'd tap it."
it's just a scummy, gross degrading thing to say that basically reduces a person to their ability to have sex. that's not cool.
[editline]2nd March 2014[/editline]
literally referring to a person as "it"
I thought after you stay in jail, or anything jail related is pretty much waived of rights at the time?
I could understand that if she wasn't arrested and was used without permission.. But she was arrested, and put in a system.
They could have used any person, hell, there are hundreds of peoples mugshots online. The mere factor that hers got used, oh well.
Don't drink and drive. I feel no empathy for her.
[QUOTE=Gustafa;44102908]It was only a DUI charge, not like she killed someone.[/QUOTE]
except dui is totally a way loads of people are killed
[QUOTE=God of Ashes;44105975]except dui is totally a way loads of people are killed[/QUOTE]
except she didnt kill loads of people so i think that argument is kinda invalid
[QUOTE=endorphinsam;44108965]except she didnt kill loads of people so i think that argument is kinda invalid[/QUOTE]
Really?
Allowing people to DUI leads to more people getting killed by people DUI.
Letting people off the hook when they manage to avoid killing someone isn't going to help matters; who thinks "Man, I was going to drive home drunk today, but I reckon I'll probably kill someone, so I won't"?
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