Alabamans Sue over Their Arrests
for Overdue Books
Two individuals who were arrested last year for failure to return overdue books are suing the city of Huntsville, Alabama, for $74,500 in damages, claiming their constitutional rights to a speedy trial were violated when they were prosecuted years after the misdemeanor summons were originally issued.
Shelia Corbin’s arrest in June 1999 stemmed from a warrant that was issued when she didn’t show up for a court hearing on her overdue books from 1996, the Huntsville Times reported July 14. Her conviction in city court was overturned by a circuit judge who said the city had waited too long to bring her to trial.
Johnny Daversa was arrested in August when a police officer stopped him for a traffic violation. At that time he was told that he was being charged for materials checked out in 1992, but in court he argued that he had not been notified about the books when he was an 18-year-old high school senior.
Huntsville-Madison County Library Director Donna Schremser told the Times that state law prevented her from commenting on specific patrons.
Posted July 24, 2000.
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