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Emoticons Now Admissible In Court

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Billy Sexton, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

Last updated 29th January 2015

Wht u up2 2day lol :P? Tb :) xo

The above may be a hyperbolic example of emoticon use in instant messaging, but smiley faces, sad faces and the like are now admissible in court – meaning they should be considered acceptable and valid evidence in a case.

Judge Katherine B Forrest, who is overseeing the trial of Ross Ulbricht (mastermind of dark web marketplace, Silk Road) said, “The jury should read them. They are meant to be read. The jury should note the punctuation and emoticons.”

It makes sense though, right? We all know that there’s a difference between ‘Can’t wait for Friday night! (Y)’ and ‘Can’t wait for Friday night! ;)’

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