Evidence

A federal judge has dismissed a class action against Facebook that claimed the site’s “Friend Finder” feature violated users’ rights to control the use of their names and likenesses, the Daily Business Review reports. Northern District Judge Richard Seeborg granted Facebook’s motion to dismiss, with leave to amend, finding that the plaintiffs had not adequately […]

United States Magistrate Judge Howard Lloyd of the Northern District of California compelled Facebook to produce electronically stored information (“ESI”), not merely “provide access” thereto on a commercial website that allowed it to restrict class action plaintiffs from reviewing those materials properly, Forbes reports. The court’s order granting the plaintiff’s Motion To Compel Production occurred […]

Should teachers be communicating with students through social media sites? The State of Missouri says “no,” and a newly enacted law is stirring a debate between the benefits and pitfalls of social media on the ability of teachers to effectively communicate with their students. Missouri recently enacted the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, a 35 […]

If divorce is war, Facebook is ammunition.  According to First Coast News, Facebook and other social networking wesbites are being used in approxiamtely 80% of divorce cases. Family law attorneys are quickly understanding the benefits of social media for collecting evidence about their client’s former spouse’s activities outside the court room.  Often times, the spouse’s depiction on their […]

Facebook scammers are using the Casey Anthony social media hype to hijack Facebook accounts, PC World reports. Facebook and twitter users are taking to social media like wildfire to voice their outrage (or agreement) with the Casey Anthony verdict.  If you’re you are one of the millions of Internet users who’ve signed onto Facebook over […]

After a bitter fight with her child’s father, a woman offered $1,000 on her Facebook wall to anyone who would murder her ex-boyfriend, PoliceLink reports. Even more remarkable, her offer was accepted on her Facebook wall shortly thereafter. Police said the plot was hatched in late May, when [London] Eley got into an argument with ex-boyfriend Corey White […]

A British juror will be sent to jail for discussing a drug and corruption trial with a defendant on Facebook, the Daily Business Review reports. Prosecutors say the juror communicated with the defendant on the social networking site during the trial last year, with the defendant asking the juror for details of the jury’s deliberations. As […]

In Piccolo v. Paterson , a Bucks County Common Pleas Court judge issued a one-paragraph order denying an insurance company’s motion to compel a car accident victim to accept a friend request providing full access to her Facebook page, Law.com reports.   After testifying in her deposition that she had a Facebook account, the insurance company […]

Social media research is the new reality for trial attorneys, the American Bar Association (ABA) opines. Christine Martin of the ABA’s Section of Litigation recognizes that “risks and liabilities covered by the rules of professional ethics, confidentiality, defamation, copyright, and trademark, not to mention legitimate concerns over privacy and safety” are inherent in online social media sites.  She makes […]

Lawyers cited Facebook and Twitter as grounds to strike prospective jurors in the Casey Anthony murder trial, reports the Palm Beach Post. Lawyers instantly compared prospective juror’s answers during  jury selection with information posted on the jurors online social media websites.  Prosecutors used a preemptory challenge to prevent the seating of one individual who they said had […]