Man guilty of murder in shooting death of 1-year-old
A judge has convicted an Indianapolis man in the fatal shooting of a 1-year-old girl and the wounding of her 19-year-old aunt.
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Maxim party host that sued IMS, then lost $75K in countersuit, loses appeal
A federal appeals court upheld a jury’s award of $75,000 to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a breach of contract lawsuit brought by an event-planning company that had sued IMS due to poor ticket sales at a party marking the 100th running of the Indy 500.
Facebook case dissent challenges harassment statute
When an Indiana Court of Appeals judge recently veered away from his colleagues’ conclusion that a grieving mother’s statements in a social media post could be constitutionally restricted and prosecuted, he went even further, calling Indiana’s harassment statute unconstitutionally overbroad. Many First Amendment attorneys agree.
Bipartisan state AGs plan Facebook, Google antitrust probes
New York Attorney General Letitia James said a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is investigating Facebook for alleged antitrust issues, and published reports indicate a separate investigation will target tech giant Google.
Mom’s Facebook harassment conviction splits appellate panel
A mother who made threatening social media posts toward a police officer after her son’s death has lost an appeal of her harassment conviction. The Indiana Court of Appeals divided on the sufficiency of evidence supporting her conviction, while a dissenting judge also declared the state’s harassment law “unconstitutionally overbroad and facially invalid because it is susceptible of prohibiting protected expression.”
Hobart man accused of posting Trump threats pleads guilty
A northwestern Indiana man has pleaded guilty to making threats against President Donald Trump on Facebook.
COA hears free speech Facebook post case involving police threats
Arguments concerning a mother’s free speech rights on Facebook after she was convicted for harassing a police officer opened discussion about the uncharted waters of social media in court before an Indiana appeals court Wednesday.
Business owner accused of bilking investors in tech startup scam
Indianapolis resident David Betner has been charged by the Marion County prosecutor with multiple felonies related to his business enterprise, Darepoint.
Bills targeting revenge porn advancing in Statehouse
In the past year, attorney Alex Beeman has received some 36 calls from individuals impacted by revenge porn. That adds up to at least three requests per month asking how they can navigate a potentially life-altering situation.
Indiana boy held after apparent school shooting joke involving Siri
Authorities say a 13-year-old Indiana boy is charged with intimidation after he told Apple’s digital assistant Siri that he planned a school shooting and posted an iPhone screenshot of the response on social media as an apparent joke.
Snapchat images are probative evidence, COA rules
The ability to take a screenshot and save images on Snapchat is probative evidence in charging a man with child pornography, the Indiana Court of appeals ruled in affirming a Henry County man’s conviction Tuesday.
Sheriff’s deputy suspended for unauthorized inmate video
A northwestern Indiana sheriff’s deputy cleared four months ago of a rape charge has been suspended for posting an unauthorized social-media video.
Judge: Flashing GIF sent to provoke seizure may be battery
An epileptic seizure suffered by a journalist that was caused by a flashing strobe-like animated GIF sent on Twitter with the message “You deserve a seizure for your posts” may constitute battery, a federal judge in Texas ruled.
IndyBar: Social Media, Family Law and Defamation
Facebook posts have long served as a treasure trove of evidence for family law attorneys, especially before Facebook allowed you to change your privacy settings. Under the recently published Zerlie Charles v. Vickie D. Vest, 72A01-1706-SC-01252, the Court of Appeals held that certain Facebook posts meet the definition of defamation per se.
ACLU Indiana plans transgender rights Facebook Live event
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana’s Transgender Education and Advocacy Program is organizing an “Ask Me Anything” event starting at noon Wednesday on Facebook Live, featuring advocates Lo Ray and Michelle Young.
Mueller examining Cambridge Analytica, Trump campaign ties
Special counsel Robert Mueller is scrutinizing the connections between President Donald Trump’s campaign and the data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, which has come under fierce criticism over reports that it swiped the data of more than 50 million Facebook users to sway elections.
In legal gray area, social media use may impact work life
For employment attorneys, an ever-growing part of the job may include workplace investigations involving the use of social media by employees, on or off the clock.
Man charged in Indiana school threats to remain in custody
A California man charged with making online threats to blow up two suburban Indianapolis high schools will remain jailed while the case proceeds.
Appeals court says Facebook ‘friends’ aren’t always friends
Legally, Facebook friends aren't necessarily your friends. That was the opinion from a Florida appeals court Wednesday.
Bankovich/Pauli: Dos and don’ts of social media policies
Employers that do not have a social media policy may leave themselves open to public relations disasters, risks for leaks of confidential information, or discrimination and retaliation claims — to name a few issues.