02/24/2020
Social Media can land you in jail.
Be careful of what you post online, it can cost you more than money, it can cost you your freedom.
In this case, Wife posted on Facebook, that she was the victim of domestic assault by Husband. She posted after the divorce was filed and the automatic injunction came down. She also contacted the Mayor and apparently the FBI, again after the automatic injunction was in play.
In Tennessee, when a divorce is filed, an automatic injunction is filed and served with the divorce complaint that prevents the parties from taking certain actions, including harassing the other party including contacting the other's employer. In this case, Husband is a police officer.
Husband's attorney sought an immediate injunction alleging civil contempt to require Wife to remove the post. At the hearing, the Judge ordered Wife to remove the post and to refrain from like actions. Wife refused and was taken into custody until she agreed to remove the post. After several hours, Wife agreed to remove the post and was released.
Thereafter, Wife perfected her appeal that was dismissed as the appeal was moot. The Appellate Court explained that because the Wife purged herself of the Contempt, her appeal was without merit.
Be careful of what you post on social media. We in the family law bar will use your posts for various reasons. I once proved a Father had the ability to pay his child support by showing the court all of vacations he had taken the past year and the products of his business along with the "live" rant his posted screaming at Mother the last time he was held in contempt! He certainly didn't look like he was suffering while parasailing on coast! The Judge held in contempt, had him taken in to custody, set a very substantial purge payment. Although he complained he did not have the money to pay, less than 24 hours later, the purge payment was paid, along with my attorney fees.
Below is a link to the case putting Wife in custody.
http://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/starkpamela2opn.pdf
Rasberry Family Law Group handles all types of family law issues including divorce, child custody and support, Juvenile Court cases, adoption and domestic violence.
