Another Stupid Arrest

[Rageaholic]

Link to article and here's a link to a video

Her crime? Failing to return a video she rented 9 years ago. The movie in question being "Monster in Law" (meh movie imo). Either way, she spent the night in jail before a judge released her.

In all seriousness, wouldn't the statute of limitations have run out by that point?

[TheHuckster]

Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where he gets a criminal record for never returning a library book back in high school.

I actually had a collection agency threaten me with a lawsuit over a late charge I never paid. See, I rented a movie at this one place just once back in 2007, returned it, apparently after the deadline. When these things happen, I usually pay the late fee upon renting again, but the problem here is this place went out of business shortly after I did that. The $2 fee turned into a $15 charge after interest and penalties and I wound up getting phone calls over it from the liquidation company.

Fortunately it never blipped in my credit history, but it was still a bit of a jarring experience to have someone threaten to lien your property over $15.

[Gravekeeper]

Charges already dropped. Looks like the original owner of the video store didn't like the attention. -.-

[s_stabeler]

a) what was she even charged with?
b) what's wrong with sending her a bill for the cost of replacing the video?
c) statute of limitations is 7 years. she hadn't fled to avoid the charges( if you flee the state to avoid charges, the clock stops ticking on the Statute of Limitations until you return,IIRC), so there is no way to extend the statute of limitations. Which is probably why the charges were really dropped. I don't even think ir would require a lawyer to get charges dismissed.

[HYHYBT]

This makes me wonder about Mom and her library books. When she moved a couple years ago, family did the actual moving and she was in the hospital on moving day. So some things were trashed that should have been kept and so forth. The box of books to be returned to the library wound up with stuff to be donated to the church, and was gone from there by the time anyone knew what had happened.

[bainsidhe]

There's been a couple recent stories in the news (one in particular comes to mind) where someone was arrested over late library books. I can't help but consider it an abuse of power to put someone in jail over a measly fine. Now if someone were proactively stealing merchandise, that would be a different story.

I thought debtors prison was illegal? Basically this is putting someone in jail for unpaid debt.

[EricKei]

Debtor's prisons no longer exist here, afaik -- BUT I suppose they could have had her arrested by charging her with something like fraud, or theft of the item (as I don't think Breach of Contract -- which is what this is -- has a criminal equivalent)

===
edit: On a lighter note:

http://www.thecomicstrips.com/store/add.php?iid=79119

[Rageaholic]

Another link to an even more dickish arrest from a year ago. A woman on her first cruise with her family is greeted by police who put her in jail for 4 days. The reason? 22 years ago, she stole a pack of cigarettes and had 85 dollars of unpaid court fines. They found this 22 year old warrant when they ran through the terrorist watch list. Way to ruin a family vacation over something so petty.

[Rapscallion]

Another link to an even more dickish arrest from a year ago. A woman on her first cruise with her family is greeted by police who put her in jail for 4 days. The reason? 22 years ago, she stole a pack of cigarettes and had 85 dollars of unpaid court fines. They found this 22 year old warrant when they ran through the terrorist watch list. Way to ruin a family vacation over something so petty.

New headline:

"Police do their job and jail a thief - are wrong anyway!"

As criminal masterminds go, this ranks slightly higher than stole a doll from another child in the playground, but she committed a crime and wasn't punished for it after being found guilty.

That she was with her family is only playing on the heart strings as much as possible. So what? "Cant' arrest me - my mom's in the room next door."

Doesn't work for me.

I believe the US has a statute of limitations, something we don't have. If it's still a viable case, then the case should be answered. If someone stole from you and evaded the legal proceedings, would that make it right if it was a relatively small amount?

Damn, I'm getting old...

Rapscallion

[Rageaholic]

She stole, what, 2 dollars worth of cigarettes? 22 years ago? Yeah, real dangerous criminal there. Even without the statue of limitations, focusing on some petty shit that happened 22 years ago is behind petty. Especially the way they handled it.

[Greenday]

Statute of limitations only applies to charging someone. She had unpaid court fees which there is no such thing as a statute of limitations for.

[crashhelmet]

Another link to an even more dickish arrest from a year ago. A woman on her first cruise with her family is greeted by police who put her in jail for 4 days. The reason? 22 years ago, she stole a pack of cigarettes and had 85 dollars of unpaid court fines. They found this 22 year old warrant when they ran through the terrorist watch list. Way to ruin a family vacation over something so petty.

It's not the stolen cigarettes she was arrested for. It's the unpaid fines. Failure to Pay is an instant warrant and that only goes away once you're arrested or pay the fines.

[Rageaholic]

It's still stupid to have her jailed 22 years later. It probably cost more than 85 bucks to arrest her.

[Rapscallion]

Should the law be a profit centre?

Rapscallion

[Rageaholic]

Should the law be a profit centre?

Rapscallion

Welcome to America.