Can You Violate A Restraining Order By Using Face Book Poem by James McLain

Yes, You Can Violate A Restraining Order On Facebook

Court cases have created a fairly clear guide
for the activity on Facebook that violates a restraining order,
such as liking or poking.

By Leah Becerra | January 21,2016
What does an order of protection really protect on Facebook?
You might be surprised.

It will protect you from being poked.
In 2009, a Tennessee woman was arrested for poking
another woman
who had an order of protection filed against her.

This violated the order of protection because the poke
was considered a form of communication.

At the time,
a residential fellow at Stanford Law School's Center for Internet & Society told ABC: 'A poke is a very deliberate action.
You have to select the person and say, '
'This is what I want to do.'

An order of protection
will also save you from unwanted likes.
In 2015,
a Pennsylvania man was arraigned for violating
a no-contact restraining order against him
by liking his ex-girlfriend's photos.

The Times Leader reported he allegedly
'liked 22 photos and videos on [his ex's] Facebook.'
In this case,
no-contact also includes contact via a
Facebook notification.

Similarly, but more recently — this year, even — in a
County Supreme Court in New York state,
a woman is facing allegations that say she violated
an order of protection against her by tagging her victim
in a post. (Video via Facebook)

She also called her victim 'stupid' but that's somewhat
besides the point.

The New York Law Journal says she's
'charged with second-degree criminal contempt for the alleged post.' She's moved to have the charges dismissed because
'the protection order did not specifically ban (her)
from making contact with the victim via Facebook.'

So, restraining orders can save you from pokes,
likes and (maybe) tags.
What about protection from having your friends contacted?

According to law website Justia,
in 2010 a man sent letters to a number of his wife's friends
after getting their information from Facebook.
At the time, she had an order of protection against him.

He was charged with violating the order
but the judge dismissed the charges against him — including
one for stalking in the fourth degree — because
he didn't actually use the letters to communicate with his wife.
(Video via Facebook)

The takeaway from these cases is simple:
If you're not supposed to have contact with a person,
remember that Facebook is as much a way of communicating with
someone as picking up a phone and calling them.