Image By: tirtmaster
Since the George Zimmerman trial began on June 10, social media has been abuzz with updates and opinions.
The Twitter trend “#ZimmermanTrial” has attracted a myriad of posts from a crowd including The New Yorker magazine, Piers Morgan, and whomever @TeaPartyCat might be.
This social media buzz might not just be buzz.
You might remember the Casey Anthony case a few years back, when pictures spread through social media of the mother partying just days after her daughter’s disappearance… that may have raised eyebrows in the courtroom.
But this time, the social site of choice is Instagram and the unfortunate target is Don West, one of Zimmerman’s defense attorneys. West was off to an poor start during the opening statement… this gem he shared with the jury:
Let me say, I would like to tell you a little joke…
Here’s how it goes: Knock knock. Who’s there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? All right. Good. You’re on the Jury. ( silence)
Nothing? That’s funny. After what you folks have been through the last two or three weeks.
Talk about an awkward silence. How insensitive can you get? You’re a defense attorney for a high-profile, highly publicized criminal case involving racism and the killing of a boy, and you start with a knock-knock joke? This isn’t a Charlie Brown television special. Come on.
More recently, West found himself under public scrutiny at the fault of his daughter, Molly. She posted this picture of the family eating Chick-Fil-A ice cream, captioned “We beat stupidity celebration cones #zimmerman #defense #dadkilledit.”
#dadkilledit is an appropriate hashtag? Evan Benn of the Miami Herald gently reminded Molly via Twitter:
Keep in mind: Dad is representing a man charged with murder.
West says he did not know his daughter posted the Instagram. He apologized for Molly’s behavior, although she continues to post “selfies” from the trial. He received many emails threatening both his daughters with rape.
Can we agree it’s inappropriate to take selfies in the courtroom of a controversial case? Even if social media’s accessibility gone has gone too far, shouldn’t it be the responsibility of the posters to monitor their content? Don West’s daughters have caused him entirely too much strife over a “family picture.”
With such a high profile trial we can expect some more social media stumbles ahead.
Let us know your favorites!
