Woman Arrested for Violation of a Protection Order - Facebook Poke

Via Mashable.com -

Beware: a Facebook poke could land you behind bars. Just ask Shannon D. Jackson of Hendersonville, Tennessee, who faces that very real possibility.

Jackson was arrested and transported to Sumner County Jail on September 25th with a bond set at $1,500 after she violated an order of protection by allegedly poking a woman on Facebook. The alleged poke broke the terms of the court order: “no telephoning, contacting or otherwise communicating with the petitioner.”

If found guilty, Jackson could face some more extended jailtime: a possible 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The Tennessean writes:

According to the affidavit filed in Sumner County General Sessions Court, Jackson is accused of using the “poke” option on Facebook to contact a Hendersonville woman, thus violating the terms of the order of protection…Hendersonville police have made copies of the page in which the alleged victim is shown to be “poked,” according to the affidavit.

While the story seems unbelievable at first glance, the logic is impeccable: poking a person on Facebook (Facebook) is indeed a means of communication, no matter how subtle.

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This is a pretty clear cut violation...."no contact or communication" includes digital communication.

As innocent as a "poke" is on Facebook, it is communication.