A family fight on social media over a car led to criminal charges against a Mississippi woman, but the police have since dropped the charges.
On June 5, the woman, 21, made a post on her Facebook page accusing her parents of racism and her mother of abusing her. Included in the post were screenshots of text messages the woman’s parents had sent her, along with photos of the woman’s bruised face and her parents’ addresses and phone numbers.
‘Viral’ post leads to woman’s arrest
She wrote that she wanted the information to “go viral,” and the post did spread across social media. The local sheriff’s department said that the family received “thousands” of death threats, though it is not clear how many of the threats were credible. Regardless, the woman wrote another Facebook post condemning violence. Still, on June 10, police arrested her on two counts of obscene communication.
Those charges did not last long. The woman’s attorney said on June 11 that the charges had been dropped.
It appears this incident began when the woman’s parents took her car. It is not clear who owns the car, or if the three of them have resolved their dispute.
Criminal charges can come out of nowhere
You probably would not expect something you write on Facebook or other social media site to lead to criminal charges. But you cannot always tell when a seemingly innocent action can lead to trouble with the police. Or you could be mistaken for someone else and wrongfully charged with a crime.
However you find yourself arrested, your next move is critical. Contact a defense attorney as soon as you can to make sure your rights are protected, and key evidence is preserved.
