Twitter in the Courtroom : Do You Object ?
I . INTRODUCTION
Twitter is a social media website that allows people to
communicate with others around the world instantaneously . It is a microblogging service that permits one to post information ( tweets ) up to 280 characters in length , as well as pictures , video , and website links . 1 Users can follow one another to keep abreast of the information the other has tweeted . Tweets can be reposted ( retweeted ) as well , thereby making the content even widely accessible . Although this is an ingenious way to communicate , it can unfortunately adversely affect the integrity of the courts . 2 Whether the press should be allowed to use Twitter in the courtroom is a critical issue . “ Critics are concerned that play-by-play updates from the courtroom could turn a trial into a media circus compromising a defendant ’ s due process rights .” 3 “ Proponents of this type of live , real-time broadcasting believe that allowing journalists to tweet updates from court results in the faster , more efficient transmission of information to the public and enhances the transparency of the criminal justice system .” 4 This paper examines both positions , in an effort to explore this topic .
Public trials are vehicles through which citizens are protected against the abuses of government . Since most people cannot attend these proceedings on a daily basis , the press serves as
1 Serena Larson , “ Welcome to a World with 280-Character Tweets .” CNN Business , Nov . 7 , 2017 , https :// money . cnn . com / 2017 / 11 / 07 / technology / twitter-280-character-limit / index . html
2 Emily M . Janoski-Haehlen , The Courts Are All A ‘ Twitter ’: The Implications of Social Media Use in The Courts , 46 Val . U . L . Rev . 43 , 44 ( 2011 ).
3 Jamie K . Winnick , A Tweet Isn ’ t Worth a Thousand Words : The Dangers of Journalists ' Use of Twitter to Send News Updates From the Courtroom , 64 Syracuse L . Rev . 335 , 337 ( 2014 ).
4 Id .
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