Okay, ordinarily I'm against people's Facebook accounts being used as evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Why? Well, for all sorts of reasons involving privacy and context and likelihood of misrepresentation, etc. -- it's like the digital equivalent of "Well, so-and-so's brother said his friend's cousin's sister thinks she saw you doing such-and-such." As a parent, it makes me nervous. Kids say stupid things, as we all know. Seems more like gossip than evidence.
UNLESS, that is, said evidence is so spectacularly blatant one can only assume the accused criminal wrongdoer wanted to get caught. You know, like the geniuses who post videos of themselves lighting somebody's car on fire or beating up homeless people -- really?! And that's how I feel about Paula Asher, 18, who recently got a DUI for allegedly T-boning another car with four people inside ... and then made a joke about the whole thing on Facebook.
Apparently she didn't even realize she hit the other vehicle at first (so says the police report), but she must have remembered the collision later on when she posted the following:
"My dumbass got a DUI and hit a car LOL"
Sigh. Why couldn't she have just stopped at dumbass and skipped the LOL?! Or chosen something different, like OMG. That would've been appropriate. Or FML! Anything but LOL. Nobody thinks drunk-driving is funny, particularly not Judge Mary Jane Phelps, who ordered Asher to deactivate her account because of the post. Except guess what, she refused! WTF?!
Which is why I actually support Judge Phelps' decision to sentence Asher to two days in jail for contempt of court. If you're gonna be THAT much of a "dumbass," kid, I guess that's what you deserve.
Do you think this girl deserved jail time for joking about her DUI on Facebook?
Image via 911 Bail Bonds Las Vegas/Flickr
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Comments 17
I don't think so....that comment is, sure in a nonchalant way, admitting fault :/. SHE ADMITTED FAULT to the world. Funny choice of words, but I'd aplaud her on even trying.
I'm not sure I agree with the judge's order to deactivate the fb account though, as her post did not break any laws, and fb wasn't a cause of her current charges. I can understand mandated drug and alcohol screening, license suspension, and checking in with the courts while the case is worked out. But to terminate legal social media- that seems punitive, and more like an issue for sentencing (IF she's found guilty- and even then, since fb probably had nothing to do with her DUI, it might be excessively punitive), or a civil court (probably the most appropriate venue, since her victims and their parents were exposed to her joking attitude and they were probably offended).
Personally, I think she's a dumbass. But that's not an appropriate reason to utilize inappropriate punishment. She's being charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, refusing to offer aid, and underage drinking. All of which are reasonable, because they apply the actual crime-
Drunk Driving is not a joke . so sorry to hear of your Son es
I like it.
Clearly, if kids don't give two sh*ts about the severity of a situation they've caused, or the consequences of their actions, hit them where they'll feel it.