Social Media Saves You – Using Facebook in Court

Facebook was once a place for teens to talk about the boring details of their lives, but it has grown into something much more than that. Because of its vast popularity, many businesses now use this social network to build their clientele and reputations online. Now, the site is going one step further, creating a written record that people can actually use in a court of law. Let’s take a look at how you might use Facebook in a court case.

Defamation of Character

If someone says something terrible about you on Facebook, you could sue the person for defamation of character. This won’t work if the accusations are true, but it will if the person blatantly lies about you online. For instance, if you fail to complete a job and run off with someone’s money, you cannot sue that person for trying to warn others about your actions. If you completed a job and still get portrayed as a scammer though, you can sue the other person for harming your reputation.

Proof of a Loan

If you loan someone money and they acknowledge the loan on Facebook, you could use that admission as evidence in court. This may not be as solid as a signed contract, but it is a written statement from the other person in the case. If the person says anything about paying you back or “I know I owe you that money,” you can win a case against him or her…assuming you did not say the opposite in return.

Incriminating Alibi

If you want to prove that someone was at a certain place at a certain time, you may be able to use a Facebook update to do that. For instance, let’s say that you want to prove someone was at an a ball game using tickets that you purchased. If that person posts images of the game in question, then you have proof that he or she was there. At the same time, you can also prove that you were somewhere else if a person is accusing you of being at the scene of a crime. It just depends on the situation.
If you see something on your Facebook profile that you may need to use in court, screen shot it and save it for the future. Do this before someone else deletes the details, as that could shut your window of opportunity. You never know when it may come in handy in court.

Jennifer Dutton is a freelance blogger for Handy and Handy. The Utah Attorneys at Handy and Handy work hard to fight for their clients rights. If you feel that you need help with a civil litigation issue contact them today to discuss your case.