Henry Earl

Henry Earl

Henry L. Earl (born October 24, 1949) is a man from Lexington, Kentucky famous for his extensive police record. Nearly all of his arrests have been for public intoxication, with charges of disorderly conduct, third degree trespassing, second degree trespassing, and apparently one count of begging. The Fayette County Detention Center's website, showing Earl's arrest record from 1992 to present, indicates that he has not been arrested for theft or any violent offences.

Henry's rise to fame was in large part because the Fayette County (KY) Jail had a public web site which listed a person's arrest record and mug shots. Henry Earl had an extensive record, and a wide range of emotions expressed in the mug shots, from despondent to happy. This page was linked to regularly by Internet news blogs - in particular, Fark.com. The jail's web site eventually had to be shut down due to the strain that was placed upon it. Henry has made numerous talk show appearances and has been featured in national and international media venues, including MSNBC, the UK Sunday Mail, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

On November 16, 2005, it was reported that a 55-year-old black man had died in police custody in Fayette County, prompting speculation that Earl had died. The man turned out to be Donald Ross, serving time for public intoxication and third degree assault. In 2006, Earl somewhat "sobered up", with his number of offenses and number of days spent in jail being overwhelmingly lower than in previous years. However, he returned to his old ways in 2007.