Facebook page of ‘busted’ mugshots says Ada County Sheriff claimed copyright violation
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Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman
BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — The company behind social media accounts that post local mugshots has filed a claim for damages against Ada County for hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost advertising revenue after it says the Ada County Sheriff’s Office reported its accounts for copyright violations over the photos.
The claim, which the Idaho Statesman obtained through a public records request, was submitted by Explore and Develop LLC on March 11 via Boise law firm Stoel Rives. According to the claim, the company runs pages on Facebook and Instagram called “Boise Busted.”
The claim says it posts mugshots and arrest information from the Sheriff’s Office “as part of its service to the Ada County community by aggregating relevant public safety news.”
Boise Busted claims the Sheriff’s Office began submitting takedown notices for copyright violations of its mugshots in October 2025. According to the claim for damages, Boise Busted was notified by Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta that the sheriff’s office had submitted “at least fourteen” notices against its pages.
Boise Busted said its pages were suspended for 14 days and alleged that, when its accounts were restored, the Sheriff’s Office would submit another takedown notice to prompt another suspension. The company said it has lost “at least $233,549.80” in advertising revenue from the suspensions.
The Boise Busted Facebook page has been permanently suspended, the claim said, but its Instagram page on Monday showed a feed of select mugshots with booking information in the caption. A website by the same name linked in the social media account’s “bio” section features more Ada County mugshots, including sections for “trending” and “most heinous” arrests.
Boise Busted’s damages claim alleges the Ada County Sheriff’s Office “does not have a registered copyright protecting its mugshots.” According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright registration is voluntary and “exists from the moment the work is created.”
The Sheriff’s Office did not respond to emails to its media line and spokesperson requesting comment.