Rep. Matt Gaetz’s Florida DUI Could Become a Historical Moment

Celebrities everywhere are often outraged when their mug shots are released for the public to peruse. Some of the most infamous mug shots include Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and most recently, Justin Bieber. While fighting a DUI charge can be very stressful, the stress for a superstar who is already under the media microscope is indescribable. Rep. Matt Gaetz has now been added to the list of celebs with available DUI mug shots. The difference between his Okaloosa County arrest and many others is that Rep. Gaetz was cleared of his charge, a detail he thinks is important in regards to mug shot availability.

Unlike Hollywood superstars whose pop culture influence usually involves a scripted performance, Rep. Gaetz is most known for being an intelligent young lawmaker with a great deal of legislative input. Since the public’s ability to view his mug shot via internet websites and social media platforms has become an issue for him, he has decided to take his war directly to the legislative table. Thus far, Gaetz’s Florida mug shot proposal has been met with rave reviews from other Florida lawmakers, meaning this bill could essentially go into effect in the near future.

Rep. Gaetz’s Proposal

Rep. Matt Gaetz has proposed a bill that would eliminate the media’s ability to publicly view arrest photos of alleged DUI offenders until they are convicted of said crimes. There is no word yet as to whether the proposal is limited to DUI offenders or if it would be an all inclusive bill pertaining to any Floridian with a pending charge. Either way, the passing of this bill could make mug shot history and Matt Gaetz, once a house member battling criminal accusations, could become a pivotal part of US history as a direct result of these accusations.

Gaetz is a 31 year old member of the Florida House of Representatives. He is definitely paving the way for future house members to question laws that have been in place for years. He graduated from Florida State University in 2007 and immediately utilized his law degree to further himself as a key political player. While the Florida public is largely aware of the fact that he was found not guilty in his 2008 DUI case, he fears that the arrest photos could hurt him nationwide in the future and he could be right.

Slander campaigns are widely used political strategies that have been proven to work with the public. One example of this was the infamous Bill Clinton Monika Lewinski debate that proved crippling for one of America’s most popular presidents to date. Although Bill Clinton’s economic approach arguably kept America from becoming adversely affected by the pending recession that occurred shortly after his presidential reign, the Lewinski scandal still damaged his career. It is important to note that the arresting Florida officer who charged the young Matt Gaetz with driving under the influence was later discharged for making a false arrest in an unrelated incident. This leaves much to ponder in regards to whether Rep. Gaetz will choose to tackle false arrest laws once he has finished with the mug shot debate.