In Lori Drew Trial, Suicide Evidence Prejudice or Motive?

The trial is set to begin next week, November 18, but prosecutors may no longer have a case if evidence of Megan Meier’s suicide is excluded. Should the evidence be allowed, or could it lead to setting a dangerous precedent?

Megan Meier was a 13 year old girl who, like many other teenagers, had a falling out with a peer. In this case, the other girl’s mother allegedly got involved in taking revenge on Megan, resulting in tragic consequences. Lori Drew is said to have created a fake account on the MySpace networking site, posing as a young boy who flirted with Megan over the course of several weeks. The person posing as “Josh” abruptly ended the relationship, telling her “the world would be a better place'” without her, as reported by Bloomberg.com. Approximately one hour later, Megan Meier committed suicide by hanging herself according to prosecutors. Lori Drew has been charged with a violation of the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, along with other charges concerning internet behavior. However, there are no criminal charges directly related to Meier’s death, such as some form of manslaughter. Drew has since denied involvement in these cruel actions. Her defense team is working to have evidence of the suicide excluded, claiming it has nothing to do with the specific charges, and would therefore only be prejudicial. Some fear that if allowed, this case could set a dangerous precedent, resulting in other violations of websites' Terms of Service being charged as federal crimes (how many people use fake names and emails when visiting websites?). Prosecutors claim that the evidence shows Drew’s motive for allegedly committing computer crimes in an effort to cause intentional emotional distress to Meier. U.S. District Judge George Wu noted yesterday that evidence of the suicide may in fact be prejudicial, according to Reason.com. The judge has asked for additional arguments from the prosecution. He is expected to hand down a ruling at a hearing this Friday, just four days before the trial begins.