Absolutely. Anything out there that is attributable to the clients can be used against them as impeachment. If they get on social media and start bragging about how drunk they were, posted pictures or made any admissions, then that could be used against them as evidence if they decided to take the stand and testify at a trial or at a hearing.
There have been cases where defense attorneys use social media against witnesses. Attorneys will look on social media to see if there is anything that can be used as an impeachment if they know there is a witness going to take a stand against the client. Pictures of someone smoking marijuana or doing drugs can be used against the client or used against witnesses and it can really lead to problems which are self-imposed or self-caused. Talking about a pending case on social media is highly destructive.
Do Police Officers Actively Look At People’s Facebook Or Twitter Accounts?
This would be more common in higher profile cases or cases where there were severe charges. Prosecutors have investigators, officers have sting operations through social media for prostitution and drug sale solicitation. Police agencies are on social media looking for crimes and it does not take much for them to decide to check someone’s social media pages, especially if the case was being sent to trial.
Should Someone Consult Their Support System Like Family Or Friends?
Yes. People who have a history of abusing alcohol tend to use alcohol and maybe drugs during stressful situations, like being charged with a DUI, going through the court system and having to hire an attorney. People need to utilize avenues such as seeking help through substance abuse counselors, friends, family, religion or whatever would be helpful to keep them away from getting another DUI, drinking excessively or doing illegal drugs to deal with their pain.
In Arizona things only get worse by getting another DUI charge. It would usually be a misdemeanor the first time someone got charged with the DUI, which is meant to be a slap on a wrist. It would be a felony by the time most people got their second DUI.
Felony charges are much more difficult to overcome. No one wants to deal with felony charges, showing up to court and looking at the potential of years in prison. Anything someone can do to reach out to get the support they need so that they can deal with this difficult time is an absolute benefit. It would be a much better option than staying at home and continuing to go down the path that might lead to additional criminal charges and the potential of severely harming their future.
For more information on Social Media and DUIs, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling 480-900-0384 today.
