Officer's Facebook leads to acquital

[Tavish]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/nyregion/11about.html?_r=3

What seemed like a simple gun possession case became an undeclared war over reality: Was Officer Ettienne a diligent cop who found a gun after chasing an ex-convict weaving through traffic on a stolen motorcycle? Or was his story a “devious” facade in keeping with the ruthless character he revealed on social network Web sites?

“You have your Internet persona, and you have what you actually do on the street,” Officer Ettienne said on Tuesday. “What you say on the Internet is all bravado talk, like what you say in a locker room.”

Also on trial was the officer's reference to watch Training Day and his (apparently legal) use of steroids.

Honestly I'm surprised that more of these situations don't happen or aren't more publicized if they do happen. There are plenty of employers out there that will search the internet forums / social networking / etc for information on a potential employee so it makes logical sense that it will start to take hold in other venues.

[JTWood]

I like how he relates the Internet to a locker room.

[Art Vandelay]

It's amazing that there are still people who don't realize that what they do and say online can be connected to them, and used against them. This is the first time I've heard of a cop having his online activity used against him, but I've heard of suspects in criminal cases, and people involved in civil suits having it used all the time. I know a lawyer who does a lot of family law stuff, he monitors myspace and facebook sites of people that his clients are involved with all the time. If you're involved in a custody dispute, don't set your facebook status to "putting up with my stupid kids" or "smoking a bowl."

[Tavish]

I like how he relates the Internet to a locker room.

I like to think of the Internet more as a peephole into the girls locker room.

[Amazinz]

Wouldn't it seem that this guy's career, at least as far as being an arresting officer, is over? If this defense has been successfully used once, it seems like his integrity would be called into question every time.

[CadensDad]

Wouldn't it seem that this guy's career, at least as far as being an arresting officer, is over? If this defense has been successfully used once, it seems like his integrity would be called into question every time.

I agree, regardless of what he does in the future you can always throw this back up in court and since it worked once it will work again.