Social Media in the Courtroom

Social media hasn''t just changed societyit''s changing the way in which criminal law is prosecuted defended and adjudicated. This fascinating book explains how.While social media has become embedded in our society as a way to stay connected with friends it serves another important purpose: to support the prosecution and defense of criminal cases. Social media is now used as proof of a crime; further social media has become a vehicle for criminal activity. How should the law respond to the issue of online predators stalkers and identity thieves? This book comprehensively examines the complex impacts of social media on the major players in the criminal justice system: private citizens attorneys law enforcement officials and judges. It outlines the many ways social media affects the judicial process citing numerous example cases that demonstrate the legal challenges; and examines the issue from all sides including law enforcement''s role citizens'' privacy issues and the principles of the Fourth Amendment. The author also shines a critical spotlight on how social media has enabled new types of investigations previously unimaginedsome of which present ethical problems.