 What is the danger of using certain pictures to represent people in court?
Some blamed the BBC, some blamed those in Savile's immediate circle, but others blamed a simple error of human judgment. We know that paedophiles, murderers and other violent criminals come in many shapes and sizes. If we knew nothing about their criminal history, some of their photos might even appear attractive. But the idea that someone's features betray their character is something rooted deep within us; it's the reason why certain photos perform well on dating apps, or why trustworthy-looking politicians might rack up votes. A recent paper, published by Xiaolin Wu and Xi Zhang of Shanghai's Jiao Tong University, claims to be the first to use machine learning and neural networks to attempt a fully automated inference of criminality from facial images, removing prejudice from the equation and testing the validity of our gut feelings. Through a study of 1,856 images ("controlled for race, gender, age and facial expression") they claim to have established the validity of "automated, face-induced inference on criminality, despite the historical controversy surrounding this line of enquiry." In other words, they believe that they've found a relationship between looking like a criminal and actually being one. The theories in della Porta's book were supported by dozens of detailed illustrations which, by comparing human faces to those of animals, suggested that they must surely share similar character traits. Many studies have been done into our psychological response to faces, and it's clear that a so-called halo effect will inevitably work its magic.
 The pictures can elicit negative or guilty connotations, which can influence a jury or the public before a trial.
 The pictures can cause further emotional distress for families who have been affected by a perpetrator.  The pictures can elicit negative or guilty connotations, which can influence a jury or the public before a trial.  The pictures may have been edited in order to make the defendant look more guilty of criminal behavior.  The pictures may not represent what the person look like during the time they were accused of committing the crime.