PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office gave its online jail roster a cleansing – the mugshots of inmates are gone from the page.

“In accordance with House Bill 3273, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office will no longer be publishing booking photos on the jail roster or with press releases on social media,” the sheriff’s office announced in a press release Wednesday, Dec. 29. “This legislation prohibits law enforcement agencies from releasing booking photos except in specified circumstances.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the circumstances are

1) To the person depicted in the booking photo.

2) To another law enforcement agency, or to a law enforcement officer employed by another law enforcement agency, for a law enforcement purpose.

3) To the public, if the law enforcement agency determines that there is a law enforcement purpose for the release, including but not limited to assistance with the apprehension of a fugitive or a suspect in a criminal investigation, or the identification of additional criminal activity.

4) To a state mental hospital upon the admission to the hospital of the person depicted in the booking photo.

5) To a party in a criminal proceeding resulting from the arrest during which the booking photo was obtained.

6) To the victim of the offense for which the person depicted in the booking photo was arrested.

7) Upon the conviction of the person depicted in the booking photo, if the conviction results from the arrest during which the booking photo was obtained.

The sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page about the change, and that has drawn more than a hundred comments.

One poster stated: “Good. Photos are posted before a person is even convicted. If you were innocent and your mug was out there for eternity, I don’t think you’d be happy about it. Some states don’t post until someone is proven guilty, which makes more sense.”

Another stated, “Considering the number for for-profit companies that abuse these photo-releases, this is a positive change.”

But others were critical of the new law, asserting this amounts to protecting or coddling criminals. Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, chimed in as well: “I voted no on this bill.”

She did not explain why.

Levy was one of four state representatives who voted against the bill, which passed in the House 54-4. It had a tougher time in the Senate, where it passed 17-13, primarily along party lines.

The new law goes into effect Saturday, Jan. 1.