Apologize on Facebook or Go to Jail

By Alex in Crime & Law on Feb 27, 2012 at 3:36 pm

Vent on Facebook today, go to jail tomorrow ... unless you apologize, that is.

Cincinnati-based photographer Mark Byron discovered how what he wrote on Facebook came back to haunt him in an unusual way:

In June 2011, Byron was found guilty of civil domestic violence against his Elizabeth Byron, and the court gave her a temporary protection order.

In November, he posted a nasty note about his wife on his Facebook wall, which read: "If you are an evil, vindictive woman who wants to ruin your husband's life and take your son's father away from him completely -- all you need to do is say you're scared of your husband or domestic partner and they'll take him away!"

"I just went on Facebook to vent," Byron said in a televised interview with WLWT-TV. "I kind of likened it to having a drink with a friend at a bar and telling them about things."

Byron had blocked his wife from seeing his Facebook page, but she still learned about the post and proceeded to file a motion stating that the post violated the protection order, which prohibited her then husband "from causing the plaintiff or the child of the parties to suffer physical and/or mental abuse, harassment, annoyance or bodily injury."

On Jan. 25, magistrate Paul Meyers agreed that Byron had violated the protection order and offered him a choice: go to jail for 60 days and pay a $500 fine, or pay back child support and post an apology, penned by Meyers on his Facebook page for 30 days beginning in mid-February.

Link | Interview at WLWT-TV

Tags: apology, Facebook, Mark Byron

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asher
Feb 27th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
So much for freedom of speech. It’s great how the courts are locked into 1880.
johnj
Feb 27th, 2012 at 5:27 pm
I love when freedom of speech is sited when it has nothing to do with the complaint.

That said, I think the spouse should develop a thicker skin. Of course, we might not have all the facts.
saaam
Feb 27th, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Earlier this month we heard about a judge that made a man take his wife out for a lobster dinner and now a judge is making a guy post a public apology on his Facebook page. It seems like the intent here is only to shame the man. How about sticking with tradition and throw him in jail for a while and make him pay his child support. I have a hard time believing this is justice and not yet another judge only looking for some publicity.
henry oHanrahan
Feb 27th, 2012 at 6:55 pm
Like Derren Brown said the other day:
“Why bother getting married when I could just find someone I hate and give them a house.”
victortrash
Feb 27th, 2012 at 8:45 pm
seriously?

“Byron had blocked his wife from seeing his Facebook page…”

So he’s getting punished for something that she did. Its like me taking a 100 yard restraining order against someone, then walking up to them to get them in trouble.
MelloMe
Feb 28th, 2012 at 12:51 am
So the JUDGE writes the apology that this man has to post on his Facebook acct?

The same acct. that his wife had no authorized access to in the first place & probably still isn’t on his friend list now?

So is the wife really an “evil” liar like her husband said? She sure sounds like she goes out of her way to cause trouble.

Sad for the child who is stuck in the middle of this dysfunction. Shame on the judge for being so stupid, too.
ezpzvi
Feb 28th, 2012 at 4:08 am
What a mature man, this guy is. ”Venting” about his wife on fbook. Wow.

Of course, I forgot, everyone knows that publishing something on the Internet is always without consequence.
gryt
Feb 28th, 2012 at 9:03 am
This prize of a father hasn’t paid his child support. AND is someone who posts these kind of rants on Facebook.

Pretty clear who’s the eejet here.
Kalel
Feb 28th, 2012 at 9:04 am
“I am sorry that you are an evil, vindictive woman.”
JoeD
Feb 28th, 2012 at 9:48 am
@johnJ:

sited – past tense of site (Verb)Verb: 1.Adopt or be in a position in which one’s weight is supported by one’s buttocks rather than one’s feet and one’s back is upright.

cited – 1.Quote (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, esp. in a scholarly work.
2.Mention as an example.

Unless you actually meant that Freedom of Speech’s weight is actually situated on only one butt cheek.
ks
Feb 28th, 2012 at 10:35 am
“In June 2011, Byron was found guilty of civil domestic violence against his Elizabeth Byron, and the court gave her a temporary protection order.
if you hit a woman, i have no sympathy for you
wt
Feb 28th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Freedom of speech isn’t the issue here. It’s the same reason you’ll get in trouble for falsely yelling “fire” in a crowded place. He did the equivalent of going around town and posting pictures of his wife with his rant. Since that would very likely cause people to react negatively to his wife, then it violates the protection order.
ted
Feb 28th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
@ks
What if he hit a man? Would it be okay then?
w3r5a346s57ybsxytb
Feb 28th, 2012 at 6:58 pm
Sounds like the wife had to dig a bit to find the post.
Sharyn
Feb 29th, 2012 at 12:34 am
Sounds to me like they’re both at fault, and I bet this is probably one in a long saga of things done purely out of spite. I feel really sorry for their kid though.
Vanjkavstanjka
Mar 19th, 2012 at 10:02 am
“If you are an evil, vindictive woman who wants to ruin your husband’s life and take your son’s father away from him completely — all you need to do is say you’re scared of your husband or domestic partner and they’ll take him away!”
Where does he mention HIS wife or a son?
It’s the same as if someone said “some people are stupid” and the guy who overheard it sued him for this.
This is fucked

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