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Can social media hurt your DUI case?

On Behalf of | Apr 5, 2021 | DUI

If you are stopped by the police and accused of drunk driving, one of the things you need to do immediately is to form a strong defense. You should not say anything that could make the police believe that you are admitting to committing a crime or knowing that you were too impaired to drive.

It’s also important to stay silent about the case even after you are released from the police station. The last thing you want to do is to post anything on social media. Why? Doing so could end up helping the prosecution’s case.

How can social media hurt your DUI case?

Social media can hurt your DUI case in a few ways. First, if someone goes onto social media bragging that they were able to get out of jail or complaining that they were caught driving while impaired, then the police, or anyone else associated with the case, could have access to those posts. They could use them as evidence to help prove that you were impaired while driving.

The next issue is that postings from friends, family or others could hurt your case. For example, if someone posts a picture of you drinking an hour before the traffic stop, that might help the police show that you did have alcohol in your system and reconfirm the results of a breath test. If you claimed you hadn’t had anything to drink, then that kind of picture could prove that you knew you had.

If you have social media, the best thing you can do is to avoid it after an arrest. Ask friends or family not to post or tag you in any photos or links. You may need to disable or shut down your account if you want to be sure that it is restricted.

Do not accept any new, unusual friend requests, and avoid posting new photos or videos, links or statements. Your attorney will go over social media use with you if you need to stay online, but in most cases, avoiding it until the case is resolved is the best course of action.