Social Media - The Indiana Lawyer

Bell & Grass: 3 things to know about attorneys’ social media

September 30, 2020 | James J. Bell and Stephanie L. Grass

Because our parents (who have trouble with remote controls) are now officially on Facebook, we can safely assume that close to all attorneys are using social media. Using social media is simply an inexpensive and convenient way to get the word out about your law firm. However, there is an element of risk that comes along with an attorney’s use of social media. These risks were highlighted in July, when the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission listed social media’s many “minefields.”

State: Zoo owner illegally removes animals, incites violence in racist post

September 15, 2020 | Olivia Covington

The feud between the state of Indiana and the owner of a rogue Charlestown zoo is heating up, with the state now seeking default judgment and the court ordering the owner to reveal the locations of animals illegally removed from the Charlestown property. The state says the zoo owner responded with social media posts inciting violence and using racist slurs.

AP Exclusive: Pence to attend event hosted by QAnon backers

September 9, 2020 | Associated Press

Vice President and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and top officials from President Donald Trump’s campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an event invitation obtained by The Associated Press and a review of social media postings.

Daleville school investigating after student swastika photo

August 24, 2020 | Associated Press

A central Indiana school has launched an investigation after a photo posted to social media appeared to show students forming the shape of swastika on the gymnasium floor, school officials said.

Trump wants SCOTUS OK to block Twitter critics

August 21, 2020 | Associated Press

President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to allow him to block critics from his personal Twitter account after a federal appeals court rejected the proposition.

Looters descend on downtown Chicago; more than 100 arrested

August 10, 2020 | Associated Press

Hundreds of people smashed windows, stole from stores and clashed with police early Monday in Chicago’s Magnificent Mile shopping district and other parts of the city’s downtown.

7th Circuit declines to reinstate exhibitor’s license for controversial Charlestown zoo owner

August 6, 2020 | Olivia Covington

In a second legal defeat in one week, the owner of the controversial Charlestown zoo appearing in Netflix’s “Tiger King” series has lost his bid to reinstate his federal exhibitor’s license.

Van Dame and Johnson: Finding, using social media evidence in personal injury cases

August 5, 2020

To a savvy litigator armed with best practices to avoid ethical violations and ensure admissibility, social media can be utilized as an effective tool to gather information throughout litigation, including trial.

Facebook messages in police sting weren’t wrongly admitted in man’s jury trial

July 30, 2020 | Katie Stancombe

Facebook messages exchanged between a man wanted on warrant and a fake profile created by police were not wrongly admitted during his jury trial, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled in a Thursday decision.

Lawmakers grill 4 Big Tech CEOs but don’t land many blows

July 30, 2020 | Associated Press

Congressional lawmakers finally got a chance to grill the CEOs of Big Tech over their dominance and allegations of monopolistic practices that stifle competition. But it’s unclear how much they advanced their goal of bringing some of the world’s largest companies to heel.

Disciplinary commission warns of social media slip-ups that can violate rules

July 13, 2020 | IL Staff

Lawyers must proactively police and amend their social media pages to ensure third-party comments don’t break ethical rules, a new advisory opinion from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission says.

Purdue expels student for racist statements on social media

June 25, 2020 | Associated Press

Purdue University President Mitch Daniels has expelled an undergraduate student for “racist and despicable” statements he made on social media. Purdue said in a news release Tuesday that Daniels determined that repeated statements posted by Maxwell Lawrence “appear plainly intended to incite others and therefore create a risk of public safety issues in the current environment.”

Councilman who called Black Lives Matter protesters ‘uneducated’ resigns

June 23, 2020 | Associated Press

A northeastern Indiana county councilman has resigned days after he sparked outage by saying during a council meeting that Black Lives Matter protesters were “uneducated” and lamented that they “breed.”

Ex-Valpo student gets probation for filming students showering

June 23, 2020 | Associated Press

A former Valparaiso University student has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to secretly filming male classmates showering and using the bathroom and posting the videos online.

Twitter adds ‘glorifying violence’ warning to Trump tweet

May 29, 2020 | Associated Press

Twitter has added a warning to one of President Donald Trump’s tweets about protests in Minneapolis, saying it violated the platform’s rules about “glorifying violence.”

Trump preparing order targeting social media protections

May 28, 2020 | Associated Press

President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Thursday aimed at curbing liability protections for social media companies, two days after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.

Trump threatens social media after Twitter fact-checks him

May 27, 2020 | Associated Press

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened social media companies with new regulation or even shuttering a day after Twitter added fact checks to two of his tweets.

Indiana lawmaker loses assignments after Facebook post

May 18, 2020 | Associated Press

A white Indiana state lawmaker has been removed from two committees after posting a meme that showed black children in diapers dancing with the caption, “We gon’ get free money!”

COA reinstates patient’s claims against hospital in HIPAA-related suit

May 15, 2020 | Dave Stafford

A divided Indiana Court of Appeals has reinstated a patient’s claim that a hospital is vicariously liable for the actions of a medical assistant who accessed her medical records and then shared details with her husband after she noticed that the patient had “liked” a photo of her husband on Facebook.

IMPD officer suspended for remark after police killed man

May 15, 2020 | Associated Press

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department suspended a detective whose remarks about the body of a man fatally shot by another officer sparked criticism, the police chief says.

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