"Officer Smith commented on your photo."

Anyone who pays attention to the legal climate knows that social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are playing a greater role in the courtroom in both civil and criminal matters. For some who are perhaps less in tune with the trends of the American justice system, however, sometimes the lesson must be learned the hard way.

Such was the case for 20-year-old Michael Baker of Kentucky, who decided to strike back at the police by stealing some taxpayer-funded gasoline from one of their cruisers. He might have been able to complete his mission and escape undetected had he only been able to keep his ego in check.

Baker could not resist getting his girlfriend to snap a picture of him demonstrating his fiendish exploits by showing the camera his middle finger as he crouched beside a crude siphoning device. Again, had he stopped there, he still may have escaped detection, but what good is a picture if you don't share it with your Facebook friends?

After it was uploaded, the picture somehow fell into the hands of police, an important reminder that just because someone is your "Facebook friend" does not necessarily mean he or she is your "for real friend."

Baker has been charged with a misdemeanor, and although the offending picture has been removed from his page - too little, too late, I would think - he has reportedly expressed no regrets and continues to regale friends with the tale, which he still finds "funny as hell tho."


To get all the latest info on funny legal news, dumb criminals, crime humor, and more, subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the box on the right side of the blog or follow me on Twitter.

See also:

What's in a name?

Court rejects man's argument, affirms legally dead ruling

McDonald's Robbed by Gun-Wielding Obama Wannabe

"I hereby sentence you to Red Lobster!"

Man's best friend or worst enemy?

"I'm not drunk, officer. I'm a Double-D."