Effective immediately, the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office will discontinue the posting of booking photographs (mugshots) on its online booking roster. This decision follows legal counsel from Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki and a thorough review of conflicting provisions within Montana law.
Montana Code Annotated (MCA) 44-5-301 designates booking photographs as public information, which may be obtained for a fee prior to the conclusion of criminal proceedings. This fee may be waived in specific circumstances. However, MCA 44-5-103 categorizes certain photographs as confidential. The inconsistency between these two sections of the law generates ambiguity regarding the management and accessibility of booking photographs and associated criminal justice records.
“After talking with the legislative sponsor of the relevant statutes and getting a better understanding of the intent behind the laws, we’ve decided to remove mugshots from the online booking roster,” Sheriff Jesse Slaughter stated in a press release. “This change helps us stay in line with the law and keep our public information policies consistent.”
The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to transparency and public safety. While mugshots will no longer be available online, other arrest information will continue to be accessible as required by Montana law. Members of the public and media may still request booking photographs through appropriate legal
channels, subject to any applicable fees or restrictions.
Author: Karen Anderson
Karen is the Editor-in-Chief overseeing all news operations at Foxys Publishing Co. She also loves photography and spending time with her dogs.
