Maria Gonzalez is charged with second-degree criminal contempt for the alleged post, and could face a year in jail, The Independent reports.
It’s alleged that Gonzalez hopped on Facebook and tagged her former sister-in-law, Maribel Calderon, in a post.
The post reportedly read:
“You and your family are sad…You guys have to come stronger than that! I’m way over you guys but I guess not in ya agenda.”
Defense attorney Kim Frohlinger claimed the court order didn’t specifically prohibit making contact through Facebook, The Telegraph reports.
However, Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Susan Capeci disagreed, and wrote “The order of protection prohibited the defendant from contacting the protected party by electronic or any other means,” Fox News reports.
And as the Westchester County Supreme Court heard, Calderone received a notification that she’d been tagged, The Telegraph reports.
The Independent notes that in 2014, A New York Appeals Court concluded that Facebook messages are like emails, and as such, they are considered electronic communication.
Frohlinger said she won’t appeal the ruling.
Gonzalez is divorced from Calderon’s brother, Rafael Calderon.
CNet cautions Facebook users to think before posting, especially if there are emotional and legal aspects to consider.
Once a user posts something, it’s out there for all the world to see (at least on Facebook, anyway).
