An arrest of a prominent TV personality in Denver over the weekend may have many people asking questions. When someone is employed in a position that is very public-facing, they might face scrutiny and difficulty with trying to maintain their positive public image.
Tom Martino, who has been a consumer advocate in the Denver area for decades was arrested and charged with assault and disturbing the peace. Martino was free on bail after the arrest and will appear in court in January. After he was released, he reportedly took to social media, posting to his fans about his recent struggles.
While he only posted about recent stress in the family and thanked supporters, posting messages on public social media outlets can be risky. What people say on the Internet might be accessible to the general public, and therefore available to prosecutors.
If someone is going to publish opinions to the Internet while they are being put on trial for any crime, they might want to avoid commenting on their legal situations. If they say something that could suggest they have done something wrong, this could be taken out of context and possibly used as evidence in court for domestic violence charges.
It might also result in news outlets taking information from social media sites. This can affect a person’s reputation and put them at risk of legal repercussions. An attorney can help represent a person if they want to make a public statement and advise them on what they might want to say or avoid saying to the public surrounding their legal case.
Source: The Denver Post, “Martino speaks on social media about domestic assault arrest,” Joey Bunch, Dec. 22, 2013