Next Time Try a Sitcom
A few years ago, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio began posting live 24-hour webcam broadcasts on the Internet showing prisoners being booked, photographed and, in some cases, using the toilet at the county jail. When prisoners sued, Arpaio argued that the so-called “jailcam” was a crime deterrent and allowed the public to see government in action. Several courts thought otherwise and, after losing a last appeal, the sheriff agreed to settle with the inmates for $500 in damages per person, writes DENNIS WAGNER for the Arizona Republic.