Most people don’t realize that it is incredibly easy to get into trouble simply because of what you post on social media. Even if your Facebook profile is closed and you have an under the radar Instagram account, you can easily get yourself in trouble. Whether you are posting about going to a concert when you called in sick for work, or you are posting baggies of drugs if you are involved in a drug ring, the trouble you get in can vary. The problem is that people don’t think before they post on social media, nor do they fully understand how that information can be used against them, especially in cases of drug charges. If you aren’t an experienced drug lawyer, Nebraska drug possession laws can be quite difficult to understand.
Admission of Drug Possession or Use
The most common route to a drug charge is through posting incriminating material. This means that you posted something that documented the crime you committed. Often, it shows that you knew about, supported, bought, had, or in some way were involved with drugs. In Nebraska, this is most commonly marijuana. Pictures and, in particular, videos, can implicate you in a crime. You never know who is looking at your social media account, so it is best not to record anything incriminating.
Associates or Friends Can Implicate You in Drug Charges
Even if you aren’t directly shown to be in illegal activity, you can get into trouble if your friends are found guilty. If you are connected to someone on social media, you can be pulled into a criminal investigation. This can result from gang affiliations, message searches, or you could be identified as a witness. Note that you can be convicted of perjury if you claim not to know someone and then it is found that you are friends with them on social media.
The same can be said if you are spotted in a friend’s photo near drugs or paraphernalia, as this may be enough to make you a suspect. It isn’t enough to get you a charge, but it can get you involved in an investigation. Make sure to monitor the photos that you are tagged in (and look around for those that you aren’t tagged in) so that there isn’t anything incriminating.
Location Tracking Can Earn You A Drug Charge
Most people know that the location tracking many social media apps employ is somewhat creepy, but they don’t think beyond that. If you are implicated in a crime, like a drug sale for example, and you swear that you have an alibi, your phone might work against you. If you checked into the bar at 11:00 PM but you said that you were at your grandmother’s house, your phone’s location records will make it pretty obvious that you were lying. At the same time, the apps that track your location for friends or loved ones save that information.
Don’t Trust The Privacy Settings
Even if you have your social media profiles set to private, or you think that you are protected, you might want to think again. There are so many ways for investigators to get information about what you post. Sometimes, police can get a search warrant to collect records from your internet provider, social media company, or even your cell phone company. If you don’t know that you are under investigation, you can actually get a random friend request from the police under an alias. Sometimes, your friends will sell you out to help their own case. The list of how police get access to your profile is growing quickly.
Have A Drug Charge?
If you have a drug charge, you need to find the best representation that you can. An experienced Omaha drug lawyer can look at the tactics used by police, the case against you, and help you to argue against it in court or perhaps settle out of court. The key is to get an early start.
Contact drug defense attorney Daniel Stockmann today for more information about how you can protect yourself and stand up for your rights. Call Stockmann Law at (402) 884-1031.
