People Prove That Posting On Facebook Can Actually Get You In Trouble With The Law.

[Catty1]

LH - on your second point, I recalled the case of the director's son in CA who went on that shooting spree. There were lots of verbal warnings on FB and etc, and the cops were sent to see the guy. They didn't think to search his apartment for guns, unfortunately.

I think checking out verbal threats, even by arresting the person, is a case of better safe than sorry.

If they'd arrested the guy in CA, I wonder if things would have been different?

ETA: And yes, people can be incredibly stupid.

[Lady's Human]

LH - on your second point, I recalled the case of the director's son in CA who went on that shooting spree. There were lots of verbal warnings on FB and etc, and the cops were sent to see the guy. They didn't think to search his apartment for guns, unfortunately.

I think checking out verbal threats, even by arresting the person, is a case of better safe than sorry.

If they'd arrested the guy in CA, I wonder if things would have been different?

ETA: And yes, people can be incredibly stupid.

There's a difference and a fine line between performing due diligence (searching, ordering mental health evals, etc) and arresting someone for comments posted online. Unfortunately, with the current laws in the US, getting someone into a forced commitment for eval can be a nightmare, even when requested by legal guardians.

[Karen]

There's a difference and a fine line between performing due diligence (searching, ordering mental health evals, etc) and arresting someone for comments posted online. Unfortunately, with the current laws in the US, getting someone into a forced commitment for eval can be a nightmare, even when requested by legal guardians.

And they can only hold someone for a psych eval for a limited number of hours or days ... so who's to say if they held him, he just wouldn't wait out the 72 hours and then go on his spree?

In some of these posts, they were not Americans, so I know laws are different in, say, a Middle East country than the US. And in many of the cases, i am sure there is more to the story than this one-sentance summary!

[momcat]

I'm no fan of technology in any of its forms and avoid Facebook like the plague. Sadly, many people I know insist on using it. The biggest issue for me is personal privacy, the biggest blow to our quality of life caused by technocrap. PT is the ONLY site I go to because it's the ONLY one where I feel safe. I do not allow my picture to be taken for any reason, recently someone did without my knowledge or consent then had the nerve to put it on Facebook. When I found out there was hell to pay in front of others so the message would be heard by all. Many couldn't understand why I got so angry about it. They're the ones who have a problem. Even with those I know who use it, common sense completely disappears and they'll post anything. If someone gets in trouble for what they put on there, so what. They were asking for it.