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Why Are Arrests Made Public Knowledge?


Anne Nelson in Virginia Beach, Virginia, writes:

Marilyn: Can you tell us why, if a person is innocent until proven guilty, arrests are made public knowledge before a person has been tried or convicted of a crime? The arrest is front page news, but an acquittal is on a back page.

Marilyn responds:

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In short, there's no law against it, and arrests draw attention. The media in our country are extremely sensitive about any encroachment on their freedom, and they put up a huge fight against anything that threatens it, such as a law that would prevent the kind of situation you describe. One of their arguments is that more good than harm is done by their hands-off stance.