def json_decomment(json, prefix='#', null=False):
    """
    Remove any JSON object emember whose name begins with 'prefix'
    (default '#') and return the result.  If 'null' is True, replace
    the prefixed items with a null value instead of deleting them.
    """
    if type(json) is dict:
        result = {}
        for item in json.keys():
            if item.startswith(prefix):
                if null:
                    result[item] = None
                else:
                    next
            else:
                result[item] = json_decomment(json[item], prefix=prefix,
                                              null=null)
        return result

    elif type(json) is list:
        result = []
        for item in json:
            result.append(json_decomment(item, prefix=prefix, null=null))
        return result

    else:
        return json