Using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can do damage to your personal life and career, as countless oversharers have discovered. But new ramifications are presenting themselves in the courtroom, as divorce and district attorneys alike find themselves consulting Facebook pages as admissible evidence to solve crimes and win cases.

Two weeks ago, a court order was issued to allow Wisconsin police to create a Facebook page to help solve an open murder case, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
From custody battles to sexual assault trials, injury lawsuits and DUI cases, many people are unaware of the fact that Facebook content -- much like the things you say -- can and will be used in a court of law. As one divorce lawyer quipped in a CBS report, "It's almost like a 'ha' moment. It's kind of fun when you see something that you can use as evidence to prove the opposing party is having an affair."

Keep reading to see some precedent-setting examples of how Facebook fun resulted in legal woes.

The Braggart Bunny Killer
A few weeks ago, a 20-year-old Petland employee from Ohio was charged with two counts of animal cruelty after she drowned rabbits from the store. After the creeptastic chick did the deed, she felt compelled to brag about it on her Facebook wall. PETA was on hand to protest at her arraignment.

Fake White Supremacy Is Just As Bad As the Real Thing
In August an African-American man pleaded guilty to a racial threat and admitted to posing as a white supremacist. The 20-year-old initially used the fake Facebook profile to rant against President Obama, and then his behavior escalated to "extremely troubling and provocative" death threats to a college student in Louisiana. Note to all impostors: screenshots are not your friends.

"Jailbird" Gets Maximum Sentence
If you were involved in a DUI accident that severely injured someone, would you follow up on that incident by dressing up in a prison jumpsuit and heading to a wild Halloween party? That's what one Connecticut man decided to do, while the victim from his drunk-driving spree was still recovering from fractures to her femur, hip and collarbone, and a lacerated liver and spleen.

The photos went up on Facebook, and the judge took one look at them and had this to say: "For this defendant to think of mocking and joking about his irresponsible, reckless and life-altering dangerous behavior -- on Facebook, for others to see, dressed in a 'jailbird' prison costume for a Halloween party a mere two weeks after this incident -- is sick, depraved and disgusting." The schmuck got a maximum sentence of two years in state prison.

Whiplash My Ass
A Canadian man's injury lawsuit was turned down earlier this year after the judge was made privy to the plaintiff's Facebook profile. The man claimed that two car accidents had resulted in severe whiplash that prohibited him from physical activity and ruined his social life -- but when information and photos surfaced showing him partying, drinking and smoking pot, he lost his chance at raking in a big settlement.

Spotted: The Guy Who Robbed Me Last Night
Next time you get mugged, think about consulting Facebook. That's what one British man did, after a drunken teen accosted him on a sidewalk and grabbed his cell phone. After victim David Smith reported the crime to the police, he went browsing on Facebook. "He saw a photograph and realized he was the offender and contacted the police," said the prosecutor in the case. "[The plaintiff] was later arrested for the offense."

Bonus: Landlords Hate Twitter Insults
In July, a Chicago resident found out she is being sued for $50,000 by her management company, after she commented about supposed mold growing in her apartment. Horizon Management was not happy about @abonnen's tweet, which said, "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay."

Rather than stopping by her apartment to investigate the mold, they decided to take her to court. And you thought your landlord sucked.

While privacy policies on Facebook continue to be controversial, there are things you can do to prevent photos and other info from being viewed by the wrong people. Limiting access to profile information is always recommended -- but no doubt there will still be a bevy of bozo criminals who fail to grasp the influence of social networking and end up getting busted by Facebook in court.

From the Web:
Facebook Warning Signs: A Guide for New Roommates. (College Humor)
7 Douchiest Party Themes. (COED)