Woman Cuffed and Booked for Not Paying Library Fines

Woman Cuffed and Booked for Not Paying Library Fines

In a year, hundreds of Americans borrow books and other items from their local libraries. What many people, including myself, didn't know is if people don't pay your fines and repeatedly ignore the letters that say "make the payments" the library can and will schedule a court hearing. This incident was exactly what happened to Heidi Dalibor. The action of an arrest warrant and her subsequent arrest is very troubling to me; and I disagree with her being placed in jail for such a mediocre charge.

When I think of a crime, not paying a library fine doesn't even make it into my top ten. It seems ridiculous that a person who doesn't pay their electric or credit card bill can still live free without a warrant but the simple act of forgetting to pay a $30 fee seems absurd. It is true that Ms. Dalibor simply neglected to show up for her scheduled hearing to discuss her charges, but if I was to be put into the same situation I would have disregard the letter as a joke as well. I disagree with this case because our resources should not be aimed at these types of incidents, the only thing that individuals charged with this "crime" are doing is taking up space for others that need to be placed in jail, like thieves and drug dealers. Although the argument was made that Ms. Dalibor should be charged because she failed to show up in court, this decision shouldn't have even come up because debtor prisons were eliminated in the US around 1833. With some exceptions, collection of debt is a civil matter, not a criminal one. Taking people to court for overdue library books should not be standard procedure, nor is it ethical - particularly for 2 books that probably amount to about $50 worth of library property. It would be much more appropriate and effective, not to mention manageable, if the library utilized a collection agency to deal with this type of issue and the police officers involved should have advised the library to do the same.

In an era where technology is rampant, libraries that choose to adopt this misguided action of asking for court dates for people who don't pay their fines will see their membership decline significantly. Why would a person want to apply for a library card or borrow a book with the fear that they might go to jail if they forget to pay a fine or don't show up for their court date? The Heidi Dalibor case is just an example of all the idiotic cases that actually make it in front of a judge and uses unnecessary time and money out of our judicial system.

About five years ago I never took the due dates that the library placed on books very seriously. I was always returning books late and on several occasions I got many library notices with an overdue fine attached with to it. I must admit that the severity in which Ms. Dalibor experienced cannot be said about my situation,

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