Faced with Criminal Charges? Watch your Social Media Posts!
Posted August 21st, 2017 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Criminal Defense.
Unless you’re living in a bubble or not on the internet at all, you should recognize the danger of social media. Even if you’re not already facing criminal charges, social media could help put you behind bars. It’s something you should know.
Case in point. Although we’re not privy to the outcome, the news reports the local story of an alleged gang member who was put in jail because of perceived threats against individuals he viewed as “rats.” Although the Facebook posts were subsequently deleted, they were considered troubling enough by the Jersey City police to warrant an arrest.
Finally, there’s one more concern. Smartphones have turned just about everyone into a photographer or videographer. Additionally, many homes and businesses are equipped with cameras that capture pictures of alleged burglars.
More and more law enforcement agencies are posting alleged criminals in action and calling upon the public for assistance.
Social Media: Not So Private
As experienced criminal defense attorneys, we’ve heard it all. You figured that your social media posts were set to private. You only have a select group of “friends” that can see certain posts. However, you might want to consider this saying by an unknown author: “Every coin has two sides, just like most people have two faces.”
In case you’re not certain what the quote means, it’s just that you can’t really account for even the people you consider your truest friends. With a drop of a dime, they can even turn on you.
Notwithstanding, something else may surprise you. There is software that can pull your social media posts. Information about you can be collected from such popular social networks as the following:
- YouTube
- Tumbler
- Periscope
- SnapChat
Bottom line. The best way of avoiding law enforcement gaining incriminating information about you is refraining from making social media posts.
Providing the Evidence
Think about it. In order for the prosecution to provide its case, it must come up with evidence. Basically, in criminal cases, this means coming up with either direct or circumstantial evidence.
Direct evidence could be one of your “friend’s” decisions to share a video of you physically assaulting someone. Meanwhile, circumstantial evidence could be an issue.
This was the case in the recent conviction of a former Linden police officer, who was involved in a DUI crash that took the life of two people in his car. You can read more about his social media posts and his attorney’s desire to keep them out of the jury’s sight, here.
Contact Us
Criminal charges suggest the need for experienced legal counsel. At the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we have experience in handling a number of criminal defense cases. Contact our office to see how we can assist you.
