Following a domestic violence arrest, the odds are already stacked against you. Instead of “Innocent until proven guilty,” many domestic violence cases are handled in a “Guilty until proven innocent fashion.”
Unfortunately, what you post on social media could add gas to the flame and make it harder for you to fight your charges, along with the possibility of having additional charges added to your plate.
So now you might be wondering what happens following a domestic violence arrest and how social media could negatively impact your future.
Following a domestic violence arrest, time is of the essence. If you’ve been arrested, it’s crucial for you to contact a trusted California domestic violence defense attorney as soon as possible. Even the smallest mistakes could lead to a lifetime of problems. Working with a trusted team will help ensure you don’t make your situation worse.
What Should I Avoid Posting?
Now, you might be thinking, “My social media profiles are private, only my friends can see the content I’m posting online.” While this is partially true, it doesn’t apply when dealing with domestic violence offenses.
In California, domestic violence offenses are handled with so much passion from all parties involved, that many social media platforms are more than willing to hand over your information to local law enforcement if it means landing a conviction. Additionally, a majority of these instances do not require the police to obtain a warrant to view your profiles.
Once they receive access to your social media profiles, they can use the information they find to:
- Bring forth new evidence against you
- Confirm your location
- Connect missing information together
- Find new witnesses
- Discover new suspects
- Prove the victim’s alibi
It’s crucial to understand that you should abstain from social media entirely while battling domestic violence charges. You’d be shocked by the countless ways we’ve seen judges use seemingly simple social media posts as evidence to change the outcome of domestic violence cases completely.
So, What Information Can Be Used Against Me?
Whether you post pictures, videos, or text posts, what you post on social media can and often will be used against you. It’s safe to say that you should avoid contacting the alleged victim and should go without saying that you should never post threats.
Example
In this example, let’s assume that you were arrested on domestic violence charges that were filed by the person you’re dating. When the arrest was made, you were at home and claimed that you hadn’t seen your significant other in days.
However, you posted an image on your Instagram story earlier that day with your significant other. This evidence clearly shows that your story is false, and gives the impression that you’re lying. This will make your charges much harder to fight, and this evidence will likely be used against you.
Newman & Allen: We’re Prepared to Help You Win
Like we said earlier, following a domestic violence arrest, the odds are already against you. Each day that goes by it becomes increasingly harder to fight your charges, and waiting too long could result in serious consequences.
However, there are steps that you can take to protect your future and move forward from your past mistakes.
If you’ve been arrested for domestic violence, our team is ready to discuss your situation and put together a plan to help fight your charges today. Please don’t wait until it’s too late to defend your future.
Call us today (909) 328-6101 to learn more about how we can help over a free consultation.