Facebook Status Update Clears Teen From Criminal Charges

November 12th, 2009

From Gizmodo, Facebook Status Update Clears Teen From Criminal Charges:

Rodney was arrested on October 18 as a suspect in two crimes. He declared himself innocent and Robert Reuland—his defense lawyer—found the key to free him: “Where’s my pancakes?”

That seemingly inconsequential Facebook status update proved crucial when the Californian company confirmed that someone wrote it from his father’s Harlem apartment computer, using Rodney’s user and password at around the time of the alleged crime: Saturday October 17, 11:49am.

So Facebook actually got this guy out of Prison. Very cool.

The most interesting thing in this case, however, is that this seems to be the first time in which social networking has been used to save the ass of someone, rather than nailing a really stupid thief. Some people believe that Facebook and other sites will become part of criminal cases across the country, as they get deeper under society’s skin. Personally, I can’t wait till we are all monitored by automagical retinal scans, and naked bald people in funky swimming pools decide who is a criminal and who is not. Can’t wait, I tell you. [Fort Greene]

People have been cleared because they were filmed on Jumbotrons, but this is pretty interesting. But what presents someone else with the Defendant’s password from forging an alibi?