Diego Ruiz Duran: The Age of Social Media in the Justice System

Diego Ruiz Duran considers social media an important part of their career. Back about a decade or so ago, no one understood the momentum social media would have in the future.

Now, people are building careers, million-dollar businesses, and nonprofits that are designed solely for the information provided by users on social media platforms.

For lawyers like Diego Ruiz Duran, it’s obvious that the reach of social media has affected his clients. For many defense lawyers, it’s easy to establish grounding based on information being provided by witnesses, clients, and any other people involved.

However, now more than ever, social media has become a deliberate part of why people are going to court more often. Cyberbullying is no joke and can cause lawsuits all over the world.

It is important to adjust to such a public world in more ways than one. For clients, Diego urges them to consider privacy as the most highly valued component of their case.

Displaying information about others on social media who might be involved in a case, is just unacceptable to Duran. With the world constantly watching, it’s important to deliver the best case for clients based on past information, and not on social media pettiness.

With so many platforms out there, Diego recommends the best way to stay out of drama and nonsense, is by not sharing one’s own opinion online, and managing social media in a very light way. Unfortunately, Diego has seen people put their cases at risk because of commentary online or unnecessary displays of opinion towards a sensitive topic.

Nevertheless, the less of an online presence a client has during a case, the better off they are in the long run. Besides, Duran believes that each of his clients should take a break from social media during a trial or a case.

He insists on this detox of activity because he says it ensures them some peace of mind, When a substantial amount of topics are being untruthfully published online, it can be damaging to a person’s mental health and self-image.

That is all the more reason why people should maintain activity to very low amounts during a judicial matter. Usually, the less time a person spends online, the fewer worries they have in the future. It’s obvious that this is very difficult for some, given that social media is such a large presence in many peoples’ lives.

However, in the long run, Diego believes that separating oneself from the toxicity that can exist online is soothing and restores peace to not only his clients but himself. With more and more people making accounts online, it’s obvious that the effect social media will have on future generations will not decrease.

According to Duran, social media platforms have not only been a way of communicating with clients but also competing with competitors. With so much branding being mostly online, it’s easy to see what competitors are achieving and how they are doing so. This makes it easy for lawyers like Duran to brand himself and add more clients to his list.

Diego insists that before a client deletes any information on social media platforms, advising an attorney would be in their benefit.

This is because if a client were to delete information posted online during a trial or an open case, then it could classify as potential destruction of evidence or unlawful destruction of evidence. It’s obvious that each client and case differ, but it’s much better to talk to a professional, rather than making a dramatic mistake.

With more and more people spending hours a day on social media, it can get very easy for lawyers to maneuver around or gain information based on the high quantities of data they have.

Duran says the evidence is everywhere and social media tracks a lot more than a person can imagine. For example, Facebook can track a person’s location, preferences, whose profile they look at the most, what types of shopping a person enjoys, and so much more.

This data is hard to get but it’s not impossible during a judicial case.

Diego Ruiz Duran strongly recommends just staying clear of social media whilst a case is occurring. It’s best to do this for a person’s mental health and wellness. Seeing posts that are not candid online can lead to emotions that could be damaging to the results of a case.

It may be difficult, says Durna, but it’s the best way to remain aware of the situation and not alter any information or evidence that will be presented in court.

For more information about your specific case, contact your attorney.

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