Two people who were arrested, but not convicted, for overdue materials are now suing their city for $74,000 because they did not get a speedy trial. The story is in Alabama Live
\”In their separate cases, Corbin and Daversa allegedly failed to return library books and were eventually charged under city law. Neither showed up for the court hearing on those cases, so both became the subject of warrants because of that failure to appear in court.\”
Two people who were arrested, but not convicted, for overdue materials are now suing their city for $74,000 because they did not get a speedy trial. The story is in Alabama Live
\”In their separate cases, Corbin and Daversa allegedly failed to return library books and were eventually charged under city law. Neither showed up for the court hearing on those cases, so both became the subject of warrants because of that failure to appear in court.\”
\”Corbin\’s saga continued on June 12, 1999, when she was injured in an accident while driving her 8-year-old daughter to a dental appointment.\”
\”She was released from the hospital after being treated for minor injuries, but while she waited for her ride home, the police officer who investigated the accident arrested her on the charges stemming from overdue books that had been checked out of the library in 1996.\”
\”The court papers claim that Corbin was strip-searched at the city jail in front of a male corrections officer and a male prisoner and held in the jail for four hours.\”
\”In city court in August 1999, Corbin argued that she had never checked out any library books – the library said she had failed to return three checked out in February 1996 and valued at $58 – and had not been to the library since she was a senior in high school. Corbin said her purse had been stolen, and she lost credit cards and her library card.\”
\”During her trial, the library did not have proof that it was Corbin who checked out the books, according to the lawsuit. At that time it did not issue library cards with photographs or require signatures to check out books.\”
\”Still, she was convicted in city court and forced to pursue an appeal. A circuit judge eventually overturned the conviction saying the city had waited too long to take her to court.\”
\”Daversa was arrested Aug. 14, 1999, after a police officer pulled him over for a traffic violation. He was told he was being charged for library materials that had been checked out in November 1992.\”
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