by When Social Media Meets the Legal System
Welcome to the newest season of “Arraignment Reality,” the show where defendants discover that their Instagram stories can and will be used against them in a court of law, and those selfies they posted while committing crimes are considered “admissible evidence” rather than “sick content.” Who knew that documenting your illegal activities in real-time with GPS metadata would have consequences? Everyone. Everyone knew that.
The show’s premise is beautifully simple: follow defendants who couldn’t resist posting about their questionable life choices on social media, then watch as prosecutors gleefully present those posts as Exhibit A through Z. It’s a masterclass in self-incrimination, and the judges’ reactions alone are worth the price of admission (which is free because it’s funded by taxpayers who are simultaneously entertained and horrified).
Season One’s breakout star was Brandon, who livestreamed his entire fraud scheme on TikTok while using the hashtag #GetRichQuick. His lawyer’s opening statement consisted entirely of putting his head in his hands and sighing for forty-five seconds. The judge’s decision to allow this as an official legal strategy was both unprecedented and completely understandable. Sometimes there are no words, only exhaustion.
What makes “Arraignment Reality” truly special is watching defendants realize in real-time that “but I deleted it” doesn’t actually make evidence disappear. The look of betrayal when prosecutors explain that the internet is forever and screenshots are admissible in court is television gold. It’s like watching someone discover that actions have consequences, except they’re learning this lesson in front of cameras and their entire disappointed family.
The show has inadvertently become the most effective criminal justice education program in American history. Crime rates among social media-savvy youth have dropped significantly, not because of moral awakening but because nobody wants to become a viral meme in a courtroom. Fear of public humiliation has achieved what decades of “just say no” campaigns could not.
Judges on the show range from bewildered to bemused to barely containing their rage at the stupidity they’re forced to witness. Judge Martinez became a fan favorite after her response to a defendant who claimed his threatening tweets were “just jokes.” Her reply”The jury will determine if ‘I’m going to rob this bank lol’ is comedy or confession”was turned into t-shirts and motivational posters.
The show’s legal consultants work overtime explaining basic concepts like “reasonable expectation of privacy” (which doesn’t exist on public Instagram accounts) and “Fifth Amendment protections” (which you definitely waived when you posted that confession video). It’s educational content nobody asked for but apparently everyone desperately needed.
Defense attorneys on the show have developed innovative strategies like the “Technology Incompetence Defense” (my client is too stupid to understand how the internet works) and the “Accidental Posting Defense” (those weren’t confessions, those were… hypothetical scenarios?). Neither works, but watching lawyers try is its own form of entertainment. They’re basically professional denial practitioners charging $500 an hour.
The show’s most viral moment came when a defendant tried to take a selfie during their own arraignment. The judge’s explosion was so magnificent that it’s now used in law schools as a cautionary tale about courtroom decorum. The defendant’s expressiongenuine shock that rules apply to them personallyhas become the face of entitled confusion across the internet.
Critics argue the show exploits people during their worst moments and contributes to a culture that treats criminal proceedings like entertainment. They’re absolutely right. But also, these people literally filmed themselves committing crimes and posted it publicly, so the exploitation feels less like exploitation and more like… natural consequences? Is that what we’re calling this? Sure, let’s go with natural consequences.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com/arraignment-reality-subpoenas-selfies-and-the-judge/
SOURCE: Arraignment Reality: Subpoenas, Selfies and the Judge (Aisha Muharrar)
