Twitter hands over records in NY Occupy case

[silicon_toad2000]

TWITTER has handed over about three months' worth of an Occupy Wall Street protester's tweets to a judge in a criminal trial.

The social networking site had been threatened with steep fines if it did not comply with Judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr.'s order earlier this summer to turn over the records in the case of Malcolm Harris.

The tweets were handed over yesterday.

The Manhattan district attorney's office says Mr Harris' messages could show whether he was aware of the police orders he's charged with disregarding. The case involved a protest at the Brooklyn Bridge last fall.

Twitter had said the case could put it in the position of having to take on legal fights that users could otherwise conduct on their own.

Mr Harris' trial begins in December. He has pleaded not guilty.

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[GhostShip]

One wonders if in the interests of justice the police should also hand over their communications material to face public scrutiny, no doubt this judge would allow some prosecuter to leap out of his chair citing ancient statutes that alow for any corruption and dirty dealing on the part the authorities to remain safely out of public view, it seems nothing changes when the resources of the people are used against them and wasted simply to stifle protests that are proving too effective and embarassing.