After a weekend in the Burleigh County, N.D., detention center last summer, Dustin Gawrylow was relieved when the stateâs attorney decided not to press charges against him.
Gawrylow, 38, had been in a fistfight with his brother â a âbrotherly scuffle,â he called it â and was surprised to be arrested after going to the police to explain what happened.
But even though his charges didnât stick around, his booking photo did.
âIn the meantime, my mug shot got out, and it circulated widely in political circles,â said Gawrylow, who in 2012 started the North Dakota Watchdog Network, a libertarian-leaning group that advocates for lower taxes and less government spending.
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Online, Mug Shots Are Forever. Some States Want to Change That.
Dustin Gawrylow, left, whose mug shot once circulated online after he was arrested but not charged, voices opposition to a ballot measure in Bismarck, North Dakota. The state is one of six where lawmakers have discussed legislation that would stem the publication of mug shots before a conviction.
Tom Stromme
The Bismarck Tribune via The Associated Press
After a weekend in the Burleigh County, North Dakota, detention center last summer, Dustin Gawrylow was relieved when the state’s attorney decided not to press charges against him.
North Dakota Senate looks to turn over new leaf on recreational marijuana bismarcktribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bismarcktribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
North Dakota lawmakers revive proposal to make mug shots confidential
Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to amend HB 1294 to include a measure making booking photos confidential. 7:00 pm, Mar. 15, 2021 ×
North Dakota Rep. Shannon Roers Jones, R-Fargo, presents a bill to the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2020. (Jeremy Turley / Forum News Service)
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 15, gave a 4-3 do-pass recommendation to House Bill 1294, which would allow people to sue companies who charge them money to remove their criminal history from websites.
The bill now includes language from the failed House Bill 1296, which proposed making booking photos closed records in most cases unless the person arrested is sentenced for the crime associated with the image. A vote on Monday to reconsider removing that amendment failed 4-3.
North Dakota lawmakers revive proposal to make mug shots confidential jamestownsun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jamestownsun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.