Social Media Confessions: What You Say Can Be Used Against You

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Social media has become such a large part of society that many people post information that should not be on their page. While everyone understands that there are several things that you do not post to protect your identity and well-being, many do not realize that other casual comments can be used against them in a Court of law.

Social Media Postings are Public Information and are Not Protected Communications

Anything that you post on your social media page is considered public information and is not subjected to privacy rules. You cannot claim that a message was only meant for the eyes of one person or a specific group of people, and you cannot claim that you were unaware that anyone other than the intended recipient would see that posting.
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Everything that you post is for public consumption. It is imperative that you remember this at all times. Why is it so important? Because everything you post on a social site can and will be used against you in a Court of law.

Prosecution Will Search Your Social Media Sites for Evidence Before Court

The prosecution will search all of your social media postings prior to your Court date for evidence to use against you. They have discovered, must to the horror of the Defendant, that many people will confess to their crimes or provide relevant information about an event on their social media page that they will deny in Court.

For instance, someone that is charged with DUI (driving under the influence) understands that this is a very serious charge and if convicted, could face jail time, heavy fines and financial distress. They are most likely going to hire a DUI defense attorney, and they will fight the charges.

However, regardless of how good of legal representation they have, the case will be lost if the person has already admitted on social media that they were drinking the night of the arrest. All-too-often a person will return home after being arrested for DUI and update their status to include information about how they were arrested and how drunk they were when it happened. This simple status update just changed their lives.

The prosecution has caught on that social media provides more evidence than most requests for information. Knowing this, they will conduct a complete search on all of your postings. It just makes their job easier.

So remember, if you think that something that you post on your social media page or send out as a message would really make your mother mad, then it is probably something that you should not write. This simple trick of not wanting to embarrass yourself in front of your mother can keep you out of more trouble than you can imagine.

Social media has become a part of life, this must be accepted. However, it does not have to be a place to provide too much information to the world. Use it to stay in touch. Share jokes and positive thoughts. Keep your private business, however, to yourself – it may really make a difference when it most matters.

Writer Melanie Fleury uses social media to connect with her friends and family, but still prefers private emails, snail mail and phone calls to share personal information. The blog at  http://www.bottarlaw.com/ recommends being discrete and private when it comes to dealing with any type of media.

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonahowie/8583949219/

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