Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Government is Watching You. Try Not to Say Anything Dumb.

"just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you."
-Kurt Cobain, Territorial Pissings

There’s an article out on NBC News today about how police (and schools) monitor social media sites.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you or to anyone, really.  Your government is watching you. 

Watching.  Judging. 

And if you are charged with a serious crime, you’ll be less than thrilled to know that modern technology has gone to the trouble of collecting and documenting evidence for the police.  If you’d like to read that full article from NBC News, you can find it below.*

All social media activity is fair game during a police investigation.  If your spouse dies under mysterious circumstances, you can bet the police are going to be rooting through your Facepage and tweeters, looking for any evidence whatsoever of an imperfect marriage.  If you complained a year ago via status update that your hubby won’t take out the trash, that’s going to be blown up on a monitor in high definition for the jury to see.

Whilst gathering all of your social media data, the police are going to subpoena your cell phone service provider for all of your records.  This will allow the coppers to use what they call “ping” data to pinpoint your exact location the moment your husband had that mysterious “accident.”  As long as you are carrying a cell phone, you are carrying a bona fide tracking device that will let the police know where you are at any point you have that phone.  Within feet.  Not yards.

This obviously doesn’t just pertain to Murder investigations.

Anyone on probation or parole should delete their social media accounts IMMEDIATELY.

It should go without saying (but it doesn’t) that when you FacepageFriend your probation/parole officer and you put pics or status updates about your illegal activity on the web, you are going to get in more trouble.

This may sound like something you wouldn’t need to tell people.  But I’ve had countless clients who got home on a Thursday afternoon and updated their status something like “Can’t wait to bust into that first cold beer!!!” or “Who fixin’ to roll this big blizzy laced with hizzy?  This guy!” 

Guess who gets called in for a “random” drug screen the next day?  That guy!

Long story short - social media, cell phones and pretty much any advancement in technology whatsoever are all problematic for those who engage in activity not approved by the masses.

Not to mention people going through civil lawsuits, not-yet-litigated disputes over things like contracts or property, and especially Divorce and Custody cases.  You might think it’s cool to brag on the internet about all the ladies you’ve been slaying, but when you try to get more overnight visits with your kids, you will regret the information you put on the internet.  Because some Judges consider that to be a poor moral example.**

Again, you can find the NBC News article below.

And if you have any more questions about how the government is watching you and wants to listen to your conversations, you can call me at 502.473.6464.  My door is always open.  Or you can go ask a homeless person.  Apparently all that crazy paranoid ranting is somehow legit.

Have a fantastic day.

Greg Simms
MURPHY & POWELL, PLC
455 South 4th Street
Suite 1250
Louisville, KY 40202







**Take any advice I give you about Divorce/Custody with a grain of salt.  I’m not really that kind of lawyer.  For more information about that stuff, see Rosalie Guthrie at Murphy & Powell PLC.  And if she's not available, my little sister Rebecca Simms seems to know everything about that stuff.

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