Do Not Friend Request in Court

Yet another example this week of why it is imperative to remember what you put up on Facebook could also be used against you – even in court.

Twenty-nine year old Jacob Jack, a juror in a Florida trial, thought it would be a good idea to "friend request" the defendant. 

The female defendant immediately alerted her attorney and Jack was dismissed from the case.  But it doesn’t end there – he went on Facebook and said “Score … I got dismissed!! Apparently they frown upon sending a friend request to the defendant … haha.” He was jailed for three days on a misdemeanor. 

Here’s the bottom line- this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last example of burning yourself on Facebook.  Facebook is a treasure trove for evidence across the board.

Let’s recall some notable stats:

·      Facebook is cited in 1 out of every 5 U.S. divorces

·      Looking for a job? 91% of employers use social media – Facebook leads all sites by 76%

·      24% of College admissions use Facebook – in other words drop the drinking photos!

So in short, this is another friendly reminder to rethink what you post! 

Statistics courtesy of Loyola University Health System, AAML, Reppler, Kaplan