Earlier this month Roger Matus posted the 10 Things Never To Put In Email at his Death by Email blog. He recommends that if you find yourself typing any of these phrases, perhaps you should delete the entire email. Here they are:

1. “I could get into trouble for telling you this, but…”
2. “Delete this email immediately.”
3. “I really shouldn't put this in writing.”
4. “Don't tell So-and-So.” Or, “Don't send this to So-and-So.”
5. “She/He/They will never find out.”
6. “We're going to do this differently than normal.”
7. “I don't think I am supposed to know this, but…”
8. “I don't want to discuss this in e-mail. Please give me a call.”
9. “Don't ask. You don't want to know.”
10. “Is this actually legal?”

Electronic documents are increasingly becoming an important aspect of all types of litigation, including criminal cases. Emails, and web postings, are increasingly becoming a regular part of police investigations. When sending emails and posting on Facebook or Myspace, remember that it's not a good idea to put anything in an email that you wouldn't be comfortable having displayed to a panel of twelve jurors on a huge screen.

- Matthew T. Marin, Rhode Island Criminal Defense Lawyer –www.matthewtmarin.com