Emoji Law Part 2: The Digital Revolution of Evidence with Judge Carl A. Aveni

Join Reminger Co., LPA and the Columbus Bar Association for a collaborative podcast series on emoji law. Emojis (from the Japanese e, “picture,” and moji, “character”) are an increasingly important way that we express ourselves. It is estimated that 2.3 trillion mobile messages have an emoji or two.   

Though they can be cute and fun, emojis can also contribute to misinterpretations and misunderstandings. Disputes concerning emojis can arise in many different legal contexts and there are currently no court guidelines for how judges should handle or interpret them. 

We will discuss this burgeoning legal issue with various stakeholders including social media influencers and members of the bench and bar.

In our second episode, Kenton Steele (Associate, Reminger Co., LPA) interviews Judge Carl A. Aveni (Franklin County Court of Common Pleas). Judge Aveni reviews how the handling of evidence has changed in recent years. They review the topics below: 

• The move from hard copy to digitized documents in court 
• The evidentiary record of text message and social media communications 
• Emoji issues that have manifested in criminal cases 
• Is a “thumbs-up" emoji a binding contract? 
• Are emojis authentic and admissible?