Twitter Jitters: Can What You Tweet About Police Land You in Jail?

Law.com:  “”SWAT teams rolling down 5th Ave. … Report received that police are nabbing anyone that looks like a protester. … Stay alert watch your friends!” Pennsylvania State Police arrested New York social worker Elliot Madison last month for being part of a group that posted messages like those on Twitter. The arrest took place in a Pittsburgh motel during protests at the Group of 20 summit. In all, almost 5,000 protesters demonstrated throughout the city during two days, and about 200 were arrested for disorderly conduct.

But Madison wasn’t among those protesting on the street. Instead, published reports say he was part of a behind-the-scenes communications team using Twitter to “direct others, specifically protesters of the G-20 summit, in order to avoid apprehension after a lawful order to disperse.” A week later, FBI agents spent 16 hours in Madison’s home executing a search warrant for evidence of federal anti-rioting law violations.”

Angry Texts Turn Into Illegal Threats

Law.com:  “Victim advocate’s case illustrates high-tech harassment trend.   In its short lifespan, texting has been blamed for all sorts of societal ills — for distracting drivers on roads, students in school and workers who should be minding their jobs.  But now it appears that text messages are moving, at times, from an occasional annoyance to something more sinister. Texting is becoming the latest way for angry people to harass or threaten others, especially estranged spouses or girl- or boyfriends.”

Treasury Inc. – The Shadow National Debt

The Volokh Conspiracy:  “describes how most of the NATIONAL DEBT and BUDGET DEFICIT is being FRAUDULENTLY HIDDEN by the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. . . . Look only at the outstanding debt of these five TARP companies (out of over 600 of them). Citigroup has $1.8 trillion in debt; AIG, $807 billion; Fannie and Freddie, $5.2 trillion; and GM, $10 billion. This means the Administration is hiding $7.8 trillion of the national debt. (As a comparison, Bernie Madoff hid $50 billion in other people’s money and is reviled as the crook of the century. The current administration, by the way, is hiding $7.8 trillion of the nation’s debt.)”

Obama Hope Image Subject to Weird Copyright Lawsuit

Wall St. Journal:  “The legal saga over the red, white and blue ‘hope’ image of President Obama has taken an odd twist. Los Angeles street artist Shepard Fairey now is changing his story about which Associated Press photo he used to create his well-known image during the presidential race.”

For more background, see “Obama Poster Case Is Rematch for Ex-Bingham Partner Falzone and O’Melveny’s Cendali” and “Kirkland Lawyers Catch Fairey With Hand in Copyright Jar.”

Go to Top