Should Patch Publish the Names of 'Johns' from San Juan Capistrano?

Each month, the Orange County District Attorney’s office releases the name of “Johns” convicted of soliciting a prostitute in press releases and on the district attorney’s website. The relatively new practice is part of the district attorney’s crackdown on human trafficking. Many people believe that the risk of being publicly shamed for engaging prostitutes will deter men, putting a dent in the human trafficking trade.

In October, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas explained to the Orange County Register, “They don’t want their wives and friends and people who work with them to know what they are doing.”

In the past, it was somewhat uncommon for publications to list the names of men convicted of soliciting prostitutes. It was thought to serve no public value while putting undue burdens on the families of the outed Johns because of the stigma associated with sex crimes. However, the shifting perception that many prostitues are actually victims of human trafficking has caused some publications to begin publishing the names of Johns. To Publish or not to publish remains heavily debated and the recent topic of a Poynter Institute column called ‘8 reasons why journalists shouldn’t name a prostitute’s clients.’

In September, Patch published the names of five Johns including one from Mission Viejo and another from Dana Point. But Patch has not published any of the subsequent monthly releases from the district attorney’s office. Should we?

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