Texas Woman Jailed for Overdue Library Books

[bobalot]

(Dec. 7) -- Authorities threw the book at a woman who had a few overdue library books.

Police in Baytown, Texas, say they locked up Jessekah Few last month after the 25-year-old failed to show up in court for a hearing about unreturned library books.

"It's not a very common charge," Baytown Police Department Detective Alan Cliburn told WSAV.com.

"It's part of the deal, part of the agreement that you enter into. It's just like anything else -- you can't take something that doesn't belong to you and just hold onto it."

Library officials say they only pursue charges against members who haven't returned more than $200 of property after multiple requests.

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Few -- who was charged with a class-C misdemeanor -- has reportedly stated that the books were destroyed in a house fire seven years ago. She says her landlord, the fire department and even the Red Cross can attest to the blaze.

Contrary to reports indicating that Few was arrested on Thanksgiving Day, Baytown police told AOL News that she was apprehended the day before the holiday.

Source

It's good to know that the government's time and resources are being used well.

[Norade]

America Fuck No is about all I can think when I see shit like this happening. Honestly, is the town and library really so underfunded that going after a person for 7 books is even worth the effort? I mean, even a video store would let you off if you could prove your shit was ruined in a fire.

[Teebs]

Well she wasn't jailed for failing to return library books she was jailed for failure to attend court.

Anyway there presumably comes a point when someone has taken sufficient amounts of material from somewhere that they will go after them and it's reasonable. $200 worth of books might be a bit low for that but it doesn't sound completely ridiculous to me.

As for books being destroyed in a fire. I'm torn on the matter, it seems like another kick in the teeth for someone who lost many of their possessions, but for a (presumably) underfunded library it doesn't seem grossly unreasonable to enforce the condition that if you borrow books you're responsible for their care. Either way, there is only the woman's word to go on on the matter of the fire since she didn't attend the trial to defend herself.

[Norade]

Well she wasn't jailed for failing to return library books she was jailed for failure to attend court.

Anyway there presumably comes a point when someone has taken sufficient amounts of material from somewhere that they will go after them and it's reasonable. $200 worth of books might be a bit low for that but it doesn't sound completely ridiculous to me.

As for books being destroyed in a fire. I'm torn on the matter, it seems like another kick in the teeth for someone who lost many of their possessions, but for a (presumably) underfunded library it doesn't seem grossly unreasonable to enforce the condition that if you borrow books you're responsible for their care. Either way, there is only the woman's word to go on on the matter of the fire since she didn't attend the trial to defend herself.

I wouldn't be likely to attend for a joke of a charge like that either to be honest. It's $200, anybody else would simply file it as a civil manner and if they failed to appear try to take it out of wages. There is no reason for the city to spend the money on a trail, and on the expense of jailing her over this and frankly I'm amazed that they would even bother. For the cost of all this they could have replaced the books a few times over.

Not to mention that at least some of the $200 would be in late fees and not in book costs so that would make it even worse.

[Gil Hamilton]

Yeah, but that requires her to go to court, see? That's what the problem is, she'd have been in considerably less trouble if she had met her court date and explained the situation; that she couldn't return the books due to them being destroyed and that she was willing to pay the cost to replace the books. Yeah, it's annoying to have a court date over something that trivial, but ignoring the court date suddenly makes it Not Trivial.

[Soontir C'boath]

It's certainly not a joke when you can be found in contempt of court for not appearing.

[Norade]

Don't get me wrong, the woman should have gone, but she should never have been called in to begin with if her story is actually true. Can you honestly say if you told that story to the average video store manager they might not find a way to help you out? Why should a public institution be any worse than that?

[Gil Hamilton]

What it sounds like is that the fire did happen, but she had alot more on her mind at the time than to go to their library to tell them what happened and forgot all about it. She may never have contacted the library to explain the situation until it became one where they were attempting legal action.

[Norade]

What it sounds like is that the fire did happen, but she had alot more on her mind at the time than to go to their library to tell them what happened and forgot all about it. She may never have contacted the library to explain the situation until it became one where they were attempting legal action.

Indeed, depending on how long ago the fire was she may be trying to get her life back together to the point where she missed court. Hard to say really, but a sad state either way. One person lost a home and a library is so underfunded this is court worthy.

[Soontir C'boath]

The article stated the fire was seven years ago and she was sent multiple notices by the library.

[Norade]

The article stated the fire was seven years ago and she was sent multiple notices.

Teach me to read. Anyway, she like most people probably figured it was all hot air and just left it to rot. Now she becomes the sad example that people need ever so often to stay in line.

[Big Phil]

I find it very difficult to feel sympathy for this woman. The contract with the library is that you replace books if you lose or destroy them. I had one fall in the bathtub, and I had to pay $27 to replace it. Sucks, but that's the deal if you want to be a responsible member of society.

[Atlan]

The key words here are "multiple notices" and "Court appearance".

She apparently didn't respond to multiple notices. If this is true, my sympathy meter already registers close to zero. After seven years and several notices, it's clear she doesn't really give a fuck. She so much doesn't give a fuck that a poor library thinks that the only way it can get it's books, or the money for new ones, is to bring this stuff in front of a judge.

Failure to appear in court. Fuck that. If you are notified to appear before a judge, you had better be in that court room on time. Judges do not have a sense of humor when it comes to this, especially not if it's already over petty stuff.

Seriously, this person fucked up big time over a few books. Seven years after a fire was plenty of time to get things in order.

[Serafina]

Frankly, there is no (apparent) excuse for this womans actions.
Every once in a while, i ignore a bill or notification as well. If i don't have the money right now but will have it next month, there isn't much of a point in notifying anyone. If i have to pay a little bit extra because i get another bill during that time, that's worth not having spent time for a notification. Note that i don't do this when anyone is involved who actually needs that money soon (say, my GP or my therapist). And i do it with the firm knowledge that i will pay the bill soon.

But i am NOT that stupid to let bills pile on and on. If i simply can't pay them, then i will try to solve the matter and notify the other party.
That goes even more for notifications, where contacting the other party is the entire point. There is simply no reason not to do it. If you are that childish that you go for the "ignore it=solves it"-reflex, then it's really your own fault (or your psyche is seriously messed up).

So there was no reason to ignore the bills, there was no reason to ingore the court summon. While if feel some sympathy for the woman because she might not have realized the potential consequences, it's still her own responisbilty as an adult and therefore her own fault.

[Phantasee]

Maybe the notices were going to the burned down house? She may not have received them in the first place.

[General Zod]

Maybe the notices were going to the burned down house? She may not have received them in the first place.

It's also possible she tried to work out a deal with the library and they didn't listen. The article is very one-sided.

[Soontir C'boath]

Maybe the notices were going to the burned down house? She may not have received them in the first place.

Unless she was irresponsible to ignore any other correspondence she's had registered to the burnt home, she can request the Post Office to forward them to another address or hold them at the Post Office itself.

[Serafina]

Maybe the notices were going to the burned down house? She may not have received them in the first place.

Um - if you are move somewhere else, you have to notify the government. Thus, all government documents (including court summons) are sent to your new address.
At least it's that way around here. Even if it doesn't apply to the USA, then it's still her responsiblity to ensure that she can be reached by mail.

[Phantasee]

No, I'm sure she received the summons. I meant the notifications from the library.

[Serafina]

No, I'm sure she received the summons. I meant the notifications from the library.

Still her responsiblity then.

[General Zod]

No, I'm sure she received the summons. I meant the notifications from the library.

Still her responsiblity then.

On the other hand, when your house is burned down the last thing on your mind is going to be a few overdue books. The one thing you can rightly blame her for is failing to ignore the first court summons.

[Phantasee]

Thank you for that well reasoned conclusion. I'm glad we have people who can be so certain of themselves with only a handful of facts. I wish I could be more like you, but alas I am afraid I will always have a little doubt gnawing at my conscience.

[Serafina]

That's not what i am talking about.
If you move somewhere else, it's your responsilbity to ensure that your mail will still get to your new residence. That is mostly done by notifying the mail service. Again, it might not work that simply in the USA, but it's still her responsiblity.

That way, she would have gotten the notifications from the library. She wouldn't have to remember herself.

[General Zod]

That's not what i am talking about.
If you move somewhere else, it's your responsilbity to ensure that your mail will still get to your new residence. That is mostly done by notifying the mail service. Again, it might not work that simply in the USA, but it's still her responsiblity.

That way, she would have gotten the notifications from the library. She wouldn't have to remember herself.

It is not as simple as you make it out to be. The US post office will only forward mail after twelve months, and frankly there's a lot about the situation that we can't be certain about. We don't know how the library sends out overdue notices, for all we know they could call people about their notices and they were trying to reach a number that she had since changed. So without more info the only thing you can rightly blame her for is failure to show up in court. If she had shown up in court the judge would have likely let her off easy for extenuating circumstances.

[Sea Skimmer]

Zero sympathy. Going to court is your chance to explain yourself, and on something like this I think a judge would have listened to her evidence. Don’t show up, you’re in automatic contempt of court. I can have no sympathy when I just know of too many (admittedly this is not many) other idiots in real life who thought they could dodge court on minor shit because they simply did not care, and ended up with arrest warrants. You don’t get you decide if you go or not, and this is a fundamental basis of the American legal system.