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Robbery Suspect Cleared By Facebook Alibi
postermmxvicom writes "Rodney Bradford has been cleared of robbery charges because of a Facebook update. The defense was able to prove that the update was made from his father's house, 13 miles away from the crime committed one minute earlier. Lawyer John G. Browning said, 'This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence. We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.' Surely, this must be media hype, since it would not be a difficult alibi to fake."
$ at now + 30 minutes
at> curl -d 'status=lol watching tv' http://www.facebook.com
at> <EOT>
job 1 at 2009-11-14 15:36
Now, who to murder first?
But what happens when scripting becomes involved..
Write a script to make a "hey.. not out murdering my wife's lover" post then destroy/shred itself whilst you're out doing your chainsaw work.
So basically,
I can go commit any crime I want, as long as I use a remote desktop/VNC program to remote into my PC at home from my smart phone and post something to Facebook immediately afterward?
SWEET! Time to to rob that bank!
Official Heretic from the "Church of Global Warming". Proven right thanks to whistle blowers. AGW = Flat Earth Theory
So now all halfwit crimial needs to get his alibi is: use his iPhone to RDP to daddy's computer and post to facebook?!
Not robbing
I love how ignorant of technology the legal profession is.
Take this case for example, nobody stopped to consider that he might have setup a HTTP proxy, VPN tunnel, or some other routing service? Why? Because neither the defence nor prosecution understand what they're talking about.
I would really like to see legal reforms that create new "specialist" branches of experts who exist only to explain the significance of particular areas to the court without actually taking sides in cases (e.g. Technology, Science, High-End Accounting, etc).
It is kind of funny, the lawyers spend TONS of time worrying that the jury won't understand the law. But they never stop to consider that the lawyers won't understand the evidence.
Say you want to go burglarize someone's house, but you need to make it appear that you're posting on Facebook from your parents' basement? Well there's an app for that too!
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DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
This decision just gave the IP address sword its second edge.
On the one hand, they were using IP addresses to identify and prosecute people for 'illegal' downloading and accessing child porn. Now, someone was aquitted based on their IP address.
Interesting indeed. Probably now, the authorities will realize the futility of using IP addresses as evidence.
Shirley!
Sorry. I am so sorry. I'll leave now. So sorry.
"If I have been able to see so far, It is because I went out and bought a damn binoculars" - Ze da Esquina
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Now I know how to not get convicted when I commit that crime I was planning for tonight.
(No, I am not planning a crime tonight, or ever)
Name...That...Autocomplete!
If lawyers are anything like doctors, they get their information from legal pad salesmen and follow whatever the latest legal fad is, no matter how obviously stupid it is. Keep in mind that half the population has an IQ under 100 and that the civilization would collapse if half the population were excluded from gainful employment. In short, the world is being run by idiots.
Hic iacet Arthurus, rex quondam rexque futurus.
The super market tabloids for your TV!
Couldn't you just have a friend login to your facebook profile and post a update while you're out committing crimes?
I could have been cleared, but I posted as an Anonymous Coward.
One thing that some folks have forgotten here is that the guy was presumed innocent until the prosecution could prove him guilty. If there's evidence from Facebook indicating that he updated his status, then the prosecution would need to show that the guy was using a proxy/tunnel/whatever, or that he had someone else post for him, etc. Otherwise, it provides a reasonable doubt as to whether he was even at the scene of the crime.
"WHERE MY IHOP? robbin fools make me hungery."
. If there's evidence from Facebook indicating that he updated his status, then the prosecution would need to show that the guy was using a proxy/tunnel/whatever, or that he had someone else post for him, etc.
You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how evidence works. Even if it's evidence in your favor, it has to still be valid.
This case is ridiculous; the prosecutor should be fired for gross incompetence. All the prosecution would have to do is ask "could a login from his computer only be done by him?" and the answer would be "no, anyone with his password."
Please help metamoderate.
There are a lot of posts saying it'd be pretty easy to fake the Facebook post. It wouldn't even have to be technical: Just call your father and ask him to log on to Facebook under your account and post what you tell him to.
The article doesn't say, but what if this was a crime of opportunity? What if the evidence at the scene and witness's testimonies painted a motive that indicated it was a crime of opportunity, and not a pre-planned crime? If that was a case, then accepting a Facebook posting made at the time of the crime seems pretty reasonable. Maybe he called his father just after the crime, but one minute after an unplanned crime? That feels unlikely to me, too. And anyways, the court had testimonies and other evidence hinting that he wasn't the guy, so I don't think this will set a precedent that Facebook postings should be accepted without question in court.
Are you a prosecutor or defense attorney?
He responds to a story presenting reasonable doubt by saying the story might not have happened... I think he's a prosecutor.
so i can ask anyone to press share on my facebook (or script it) and get away with anything wow, some judges are pretty stupid or what?
Live Electronic Music
Couldn't you just write a script to login to your facebook profile and post a update while you're out committing crimes?
This generalization may not apply to all situations. Your mileage may vary. Batteries not included.
1) Carry laptop with cellular modem in car
2) Stop off at liquor store and knock it over
3) Remote Desktop to home machine from car and update Facebook
4) ???
5) Acquittal!
The media reported as well that he was positively identified in a line-up. Just shows you how frail witnesses can be.
to update his status. But what if.... he used a remote connection to rob the shop/bank whatever? I say check his bank account to see if he's bought 13 miles of string. No scrap that! I say prove to me he doesn't already have 13 miles of string!