Hardesty, Tyde, Green & Ashton, P.A. blog

Monday, July 21, 2008

Internet Social Sites Show Up in Court

Next time you have the urge to post something on one of the Internet social sites think again before you do it. Sites such as Facebook, My Space and the host of others are gaining attention from Judges and Attorneys as a place to view evidence and search for self incrimination. Pictures, Stories or blogs are all sources for problems in the courtroom. Take the example of Joshua Lipton a Rhode Island student charged with DUI and causing an accident severely injuring a woman. The prosecutor found Facebook photos from a Halloween party two weeks after the accident with Lipton dressed in a mock prison suit and a sign saying "Jail Bird." The judge took the photos into account as he sentenced Lipton to 2 years in prison. To read the entire story see this link:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/07/18/facebook.evidence.ap/index.html

The best judgement is to understand that if something is posted on the Internet it becomes difficult if not impossible to remove it entirely. Never post anything that is even questionable regarding content. The content posted on the Internet is public and is usable in virtually every type of case (criminal, family law, workers compensation, personal injury, medical malpractice). Please contact us if we can assist with a legal matter.

posted by Attorney W. Marc Hardesty at 4:05 AM