Regardless of the justification you tell yourself and your readers, there is an unintentional consequence to publishing the names and misdeeds of arrestees in your paper: the families of said arrestees.

Children have enough ways the world can bully them in this technological age, do we have to add to it?

Do we have to have some tyke get bullied over the fact that his grandpa was arrested for DUI?

There is no reason to publish individuals’ names.

While the public needs to be warned regarding violent rapists, serial killers, pedophiles etc., petty crimes are not in that ballpark by any means.

If a person wishes to know this data either for legitimate reasons or simple prurience, it is readily available. There is no need to publish it as a matter of regular journalism. It is in fact spiteful and is the usual fodder of muckraking tabloids.

I have been a subscriber to The Leader for decades. Not because I value its journalistic quality particularly, but because it is a local business that I want to support. By writing unnecessary information that can lead to innocent people being Burt in someway, you have lowered the tenor of The Leader and quite frankly, of our town. If you continue, it will be hard to support your business.

Judith Toledano

Port Townsend