>For instance, maybe he bought it from the thief off craigslist.
Could be but one could also speculate the other direction. What if the robbery occurred in a very short time span, and the photo of him driving away was taken (assuming it was time and location stamped) during that time and in the immediate vicinity of the crime?
This would make it unlikely that a third party transaction had occurred.
Which is precisely why modern civilized societies have a judicial system. To reach a verdict based on actual facts and evidence. Not some "what ifs".
[edited for typos]
I own a netbook - its quite small and could be easily hidden behind a sofa or something, lets say I leave it somewhere private - maybe a hidden corner of someone's house (a friends house, I didn't break in). I take some photos with it it.
Does it sound like I'm in the clear to post them anywhere I like?
The law hinges entirely on the term "expectation of privacy" so what you do you mean by "somewhere private"? You mention a sofa so if your friend invited you in somewhere like the living room (ie. no bathrooms, weren't filming his naked kids, etc.), my understanding is you would be fine. Your friend might not like it, but legally similar situations happen daily, it's called Facebook.
Imagine taking a picture at a party with intoxicated people in it, do you get everyone's consent before snapping the pic? What about being filmed on security cam driving past an ATM? So those are two examples of where although you might not actively expect to be filmed, they are still protected filming locations.
Could be but one could also speculate the other direction. What if the robbery occurred in a very short time span, and the photo of him driving away was taken (assuming it was time and location stamped) during that time and in the immediate vicinity of the crime?
This would make it unlikely that a third party transaction had occurred.