"You’ve Been Indicted!"

Interesting story from South Korea about prosecutors using text messaging to inform citizens that they have been indicted. In a country where 75 percent of the population carries mobile phones, the government concluded that it was more efficient to provide legal notices to citizens electronically instead of by mail. So if your battery dies or your phone is stolen and you never receive the indictment, can you claim inadequate service of process?

Of course, the “service” is not limited to legal notices of criminal prosecution. The government will also text message you if you owe a fine or penalty.