The internet can help increase the speed of justice, but it can get in the way as well, with just as much speed.
An officer in New York had his MySpace and Facebook accounts used against him in court, as well as Internet video clips, as part of establishing his character. When a man accused of carrying a loaded gun went on trial in State Supreme Court in Brooklyn, what seemed like a simple gun possession case became about whether or not the man had been framed by a dirty cop.
“As the lawyer Ron Kuby says, ‘stupidity on the Internet is there for everyone to see for all times in perpetuity,’” the officer rightly quoted, seemingly having learned his lesson.
In Arkansas, remarks that a juror posted to Twitter before, during, and after the proceedings may have caused a mistrial. The motion has been filed, but the prosecution has 10 days to respond or the judge may throw out the request.
Though it is a growing concern, some judges are increasingly allowing blogging, tweeting, and audio streaming from their courtrooms. TV host Stephen Colbert even picked on a US Senator for using her Twitter account during President Obama’s recent congressional speech.
The desire to use internet speed as the measure of the pace of our real lives may be clouding our judgment. There are still some situations that might be better sent in an e-mail to a select group, rather than posted for the world to see. Discretion may be the better part of valor, but it’s also a necessary virtue for anyone who is part of the growing social networking world.