It’s hard to even imagine a time without social media now. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and much more have enabled people near and far to stay connected with their loved ones by posting photos, videos, statuses and more. We are more connected to each other than ever.
Sharing our lives on social platforms seem to be a routine part of life nowadays. We’ve all seen posts about people’s clothes, food, travel plans, and so much more. People love to post about anything and everything. However, there are some things that are best left off your timeline.
Scottsdale criminal defense lawyer, Josephine Hallam, advises those who are involved in a defense case to stay off social media and to urge their friends and family to do the same. The updates that you post could be used against you as evidence in court, even if you believe that your profiles are on private.
Here are a few ways your social media accounts could hurt your criminal case.
The Photo Effect
While sharing photos is a large part of social media, the photos that you post could play a part in incriminating you. If the police find a picture of you near or at the crime scene, they can use this to show people on the jury that you were at least associated with the what you are charged with. Professionals can even use your uploaded photos to find out where the exact location the photo took place. They can also use it to illustrate a story about you that may not necessarily be true.
The images that your friends and family upload and tag you in are also fair game. To be safe, tell people not to share photos of you or tag you in anything that they upload until the trial is over.
Be Wise With Your Words
Many people instinctively post on social media when something significant happens in their life, or when they are stressed. They also have a habit of tweeting when they are upset, thinking that it won’t impact anything in our lives. But the words that you send out to cyberspace before your trial can come back to hurt you.
For example, if you post something about a person you dislike, and you end up in a physical altercation with them, the judge may say that this was premeditated. You should always be careful and cautious about what you share across your profiles. Even if you are not serious about what you say, people may use your words against you. Don’t ever post in anger or frustration and think twice before sharing.
Don’t Check In
Almost all social media platforms now allow people to “check-in” to specific locations, allowing users to show their followers where they are. This feature could allow law enforcers to learn your exact whereabouts during the time of the crime.
They could also see your check-in history to find out whether or not you’ve consistently visited the scene of the crime. This could be used to strengthen the prosecution’s case against you.
Here are a few more reasons why you shouldn’t share your location on social media.
Your Social History
It is not unlikely for prosecutors to visit your social profiles before the trial even begins. They comb through all your posts and all the ones that you are tagged in to learn more about your character. They will try to use your profile to paint a picture of you to the jury that may or may not be true. One survey also found that 59% of law enforcement agencies will contact social media companies to get information about suspects.
Will deleting your profile erase all the information that you’ve ever posted? Unfortunately no. If needed, the police and other law officials can ask social media companies for copies of your old posts.
Social media play a large part in people’s lives. However, sharing and posting could have a larger impact on your life than you think. Always think twice before you upload anything!