Social Media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are a wonderful way to keep in touch with family and friends. In 2022, pretty much every person you know uses some form of social media daily. People use social media to post live feeds of their life, memes, quotes, photographs, and status updates. However, have you ever stopped to think about what would happen to all of that information if you were arrested for a crime? Police can and will search your social media pages for evidence against you if you have been charged with a crime.
While there are privacy settings for these social media sites, that is often not enough. Likewise, deleting previous posts after being arrested, while it may be a good idea, may not completely eliminate the potential of police using it against you. Police or prosecutors can try to get a warrant or subpoena your social media account(s) to access your information. This could include previously deleted photos, posts, or entire accounts.
As an example, imagine you are arrested for a DUI (driving under the influence). While it may seem obvious to not Instagram-live your drinking night, there are other ways law enforcement can use your social media sites against you. Police can collect information such as your status updates and tracking location information to establish a timeline of the events leading up to your DUI arrest. By posting information that is seemingly innocent at the time, you could be helping law enforcement piecemeal a case against you. Police could also try to use past posts or posts after arrest as evidence against you in your criminal case. For instance, after your DUI arrest, it is not a good idea to post about the standardized field sobriety tests you completed or anything else about that evening.
A criminal conviction can have long lasting ramifications in your life. Aside from prison time and criminal penalties, the collateral consequences of a conviction can be severe. It can impact future job opportunities, college or post graduate schooling, financial aid, housing and more. That is why it is crucial to hire experienced criminal defense attorneys to represent you through the entire process. With over 20 years of combined trial experience, we can defend your case and explain how to avoid your social media account being used against you.