Facebook Precident
Thursday, November 12, 2009
By Tessa Leone
Rodney Bradford, a nineteen year old from New York City has won the first court case by using Facebook, a social networking unit as evidence.
Rodney was accused of robbing two people on October 17th in the Brooklyn housing unit where he lives. He was held for twelve days and was expected to be convicted.
Bradford had eye witnesses claiming his innocence but no hard evidence to prove his wear abouts, except a Facebook message posted on his girlfriends wall asking her where his pancakes were.
At 11:47 on October 17th the phrase "Where my IHOP?" was posted from Bradford's computer using his Facebook account.
This news was presented before the judge and Bradford won his case.
"This is the first case that I am aware of in which a Facebook comment has been used as alibi evidence. We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become." said Dallas lawyer John G. Browning.
Picture credit: msnbc.com
3 comments:
It's amazing how social networking is being adapted to more than just keeping up with friends. This case could dramatically change how people can defend themselves in the court of law, and also could enable laws that will directly focus on social groups and networks.
What an interesting story. Facebook can now be used as a legitimate alibi.
I tend to believe this particular incident, but I also know that Facebook can be updated doing virtually anything. It would also be easy to have someone else post something from your account. People would try to use something like that as a loophole for the "perfect alibi." It could be risky to rely soley on Facebook for evidence.
Good post, Tessa.
I think it's great that it is a source to use. So much is put up on Facebook. People don't realize how what they put on the web is visible to everybody. I know of someone that used facebook as proof to somehing and won with it as well.
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