Believe it or not, what you post on Facebook is likely to stay online forever and what you post today can have an effect on you years down the road. The ubiquitous nature of social media has made it an unrivaled source of evidence that can be used against you in a criminal case. If you have been arrested for a crime and the postings on your social media sites are relevant to your alleged criminal activity, it can be brought up in a court case. and may assist the prosecution in obtaining a conviction. It would be wise to speak to an experienced criminal lawyer who is familiar with the laws on social media data and electronically stored information (ESI).
A judge or a jury only has to take one look at damaging photos or post that you willingly made on Facebook to determine what kind of person they think you are. Even if this isn’t your everyday normal behavior, just one photo of you doing something unethical can land you in hot water. So why take the chance when it comes to posting negative things on the largest social network in the world?
Big Brother Just Might Be Watching You
Doing something illegal and then posting a picture of the crime on Facebook is a sure way to land you in jail. Local authorities are getting wise to look at the Internet and Facebook for subjective behavior. These agencies along with state and federal authorities often monitor Facebook, for acts of crime caught in a screenshot or a picture.
For example, someone has a night of drinking with friends and an auto accident occurs and they flee that scene. The next day that same person posts something about the accident on Facebook -then someone in law enforcement sees it and an arrest is made. This thoughtless posting landed the person in serious trouble and they may face jail time resulting from their online activities. For Facebook policies and legal terms click here.
NH Child Custody Cases and How Posting on Facebook Can Affect Them
Some people just don’t realize how serious negative behavior can affect their child custody arrangements when it comes to posting those actions on social media sites. Pictures of you partying the night away with a drink in your hand may be used against you in a custody dispute and may lead to a loss of custody. If brought as evidence against you in court, the judge will consider this evidence when determining if you are an unfit parent. This can be devastating- but the fact that it might happen is all too real.
During a NH Divorce Case, Be Careful What You Post on Facebook
Divorce lawyers have caught on to what some in law enforcement have been doing, by deeply researching their client's spouse’s online activities including Facebook postings. They will look hard to find evidence of wrongdoing. If pictures are found that can romantically link their client’s spouse to another person, grounds for adultery might be proven resulting in huge alimony payments that could last for many years.