Can Social Media Be Used Against Me in Court?

You must understand that the team of prosecutors in your criminal court case is going to do everything in its power to prove your guilt. This means that the prosecution may go as far as presenting your social media content as pieces of evidence. Read on to discover how social media can be used against you in your court case and how one of the experienced New Jersey & Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can advise you.

How can social media be used against me in criminal court?

In the discovery stage of your criminal court proceedings, the prosecution may gather any pieces of evidence that can have a bearing on the case made against you. Well, this may include content from your social media accounts. Overall, so long as the criminal court deems it relevant to the case, then this information may be admissible. That said, examples of how the prosecution may use your social media content against you are as follows:

• The prosecution may use your social media posts to disprove your alibi or a witness’s testimony on your behalf.
• The prosecution may use your social media posts to create a timeline of events that are believed to have led to your alleged crime.
• The prosecution may use your social media activity to identify your exact location and movements at and around the time of your alleged crime.
• The prosecution may use your social media posts to portray your previous pattern of behavior and/or character, unrelated to your alleged crime, in an unflattering light.

What social media tips should I follow during my case proceedings?

You can never be too safe when it comes to your social media activity, especially when you have ongoing criminal court proceedings. This is because prosecutors may obtain your content even if you have since deleted it or otherwise have your accounts on private mode. Without further ado, it is wise to follow the below social media tips during your proceedings:

• Do not post any information or engage in any direct message conversations regarding your case on your social media accounts; rather, keep such conversations exclusively between you and your lawyer.
• Do not accept any new friend requests on your social media accounts, even if you believe that you know the person, as this may be a prosecutor in disguise.
• Do not excessively delete your social media data, as the protection may argue that you are attempting to conceal information.

At the end of the day, when it comes to your criminal case proceedings, please consider contacting one of the competent New Jersey criminal defense lawyers. Our team at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. is ready and willing to assist you.