A Texas woman was jailed for overdue library books in her hometown, the day before Thanksgiving. The jailed woman was arrested after police say she had not returned the books in over seven years. However, the library patron said the books were destroyed in a house fire.
Texas Woman Jailed for Overdue Library Books? How Overdue Were the Books?
According to Baytown police, Jessekah Few, 25, was arrested the day before
Thanksgiving on a warrant issued by a local county judge. The warrant resulted from charges filed by the town's' library against Few, citing that she had not returned books for over seven years, even after repeated requests.
The director of the library said that they are not in the business of making frivilous complaints, and their charges are backed by the fact that repeated requests were made to Few to return the overdue books, to no avail.
Texas Woman Jailed for Overdue Library Books - Her Side
When a local television interviewed townsfolk in Baytown, Texas about the woman jailed for overdue library books, the responses were mixed. Some say that it is a shame police would arrest anyone for such a small matter, while others said that people must follow the law.
A Baytown detective said this about the Texas woman jailed for overdue library books:
"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," Detective Cliburn said.
It appears that the library gave Few all the opportunity to address the matter, but she refused to respond after repeated requests. The director said that they only prosecute cases that exceed $200 in property value.
The Texas woman was jailed for failure to make a mandatory court date (contempt) and for not returning the overdue library books. She contends that they were lost in a house fire seven years ago. She apparently has claims to back it up.
Turns out that Few at more than just a few overdue library books out.
Texas Woman Jailed for Overdue Library Books? How Overdue Were the Books?
According to Baytown police, Jessekah Few, 25, was arrested the day before
The director of the library said that they are not in the business of making frivilous complaints, and their charges are backed by the fact that repeated requests were made to Few to return the overdue books, to no avail.
Texas Woman Jailed for Overdue Library Books - Her Side
When a local television interviewed townsfolk in Baytown, Texas about the woman jailed for overdue library books, the responses were mixed. Some say that it is a shame police would arrest anyone for such a small matter, while others said that people must follow the law.
A Baytown detective said this about the Texas woman jailed for overdue library books:
"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," Detective Cliburn said.
It appears that the library gave Few all the opportunity to address the matter, but she refused to respond after repeated requests. The director said that they only prosecute cases that exceed $200 in property value.
The Texas woman was jailed for failure to make a mandatory court date (contempt) and for not returning the overdue library books. She contends that they were lost in a house fire seven years ago. She apparently has claims to back it up.
Turns out that Few at more than just a few overdue library books out.
