Tattoo Cover-Ups for Criminals

The judge granted that request, and the media went crazy over tax payers footing the $125/day bill for a cosmetologist to clean-up the accused murderer. Read more in that post for the law surrounding indigent defendants and what is thought about a "fair trial" under US law.

a year ago, I wrote about using tattoos as proof in criminal trials, citing the case of Neo-Nazi John Ditullio who is accused of stabbing a teenager to death and wounding another. While in jail awaiting trial, Ditullio acquired a Nazi swastika among other hateful tattoos but then asked the court in his first trial for permission to cover them up so she won't be prejudiced before the jury. Even more controversial, she asked the court to pay for it because she couldn't.

Now Ditullio faces his second trial for murder, and again, a cosmetologist is being brought in to cover up the tattoos. Cue more media frenzy. Out of the lots of articles, I found yesterday's NY Times coverage of the trial most fascinating because they don't just discuss the law but look at the extensive process of concealing prominent facial and neck tattoos. Here's a number of that discussion: