Md. State Bar Association Social Media Program

It was a pleasure to participate yesterday in an MSBA program on “Social Media as Evidence” for the Young Lawyers Section.  After an introduction by T.J. Keilty, I provided an overview of what constitutes social media.  The Hon. J. Mark Coulson discussed discovery issues, including His Honor’s decisions in Allen v. PPE Casino Resorts Maryland, LLC, 543 F. Supp. 3d 91 (D. Md. 2021), and Gaske v. Crabcake Factory Seafood House, LLC, 2021 WL 3188007 (D. Md. Jul. 28, 2021), subsequent op., 2021 WL 5326465 (D. Md. Nov. 15, 2021).  I then discussed preservation and non-forensic collection of social media, especially under Judge Coulson’s decision, District of Maryland Gives Qualified Approval to Non-Forensic Downloads of Social Media Data.  Ashley Aranega provided a contrast by demonstrating forensic collection using X1 Social Media Discovery.  Alicia L. Shelton, Esq., then discussed the important decisions of Lorraine v. Markel Am. Ins., 241 F.R.D. 534 (D.Md. 2007), Griffin v. State, 419 Md. 343 (2011)(snitches get stiches), Sublet v. State, 442 Md. 632 (2015)(elucidating Griffin), State v. Sample, 468 Md. 560 (2020)(unfriending evidence), and Irwin Industrial Tool Co. v. Pifer, 478 Md. 645 (2022)(evidence obtained on eBay approximately 36 years after tort).  Finally, we provided two mock witness examinations, authenticating social media through a recalcitrant lay witness, Melissa E. Goldmeier, Esq., in the first, and using X1 Social Discovery and an expert witness, in the second.