Archive for the ‘Facebook’ Category

Juror Asks Facebook Friends For Verdict Advice

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

“I don’t know which way to go, so I’m holding a poll,” the British juror posted on her Facebook page, adding the details of the child abduction and sexual assault case she had been sworn in to help adjudicate. There was also the “do not discuss this case with anybody” rule she’d agreed to adhere to, of course…

She was dropped from the jury (the trial continued with 11 jurors) after the judge was informed of her Internet indiscretion. She was, remarkably enough, not cited for contempt of court.

Posted in Bill Bickel, Crimeweek, Facebook, Weird World of Crime, crime, juries, trials | 6 Comments »

Dipping

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

dipping.jpgGoogle Earth, Facebook and MySpace have “teamed up” to make possible a new crime, so far apparently only popular in parts of England, called “dipping”: This innovative variation on trespass involves searching Google Earth to find a backyard swimming pool, determining its location, then using social networks such as Facebook and MySpace to “invite” dozens or even hundreds of friends to descend on the pool at a given time, for either a quick dip-and-run or a full “pool party.”

Don’t be surprised if this phenomenon spreads — though I have to wonder how appealing this sort of prank might seem in states where a significant percentage of homeowners own guns.

Posted in Bill Bickel, Crimeweek, England, Facebook, Google Earth, MySpace, crime, dipping, trespassing | 6 Comments »