Unreturned library book leads to woman's arrest

[The Straight Story]

Unreturned library book leads to woman's arrest

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has been arrested because she failed to return a library book.

Thirty-nine-year-old Shelly Koontz was arrested Thursday night on a fifth-degree theft charge. She is accused of keeping "The Freedom Writers Diary," which she checked out from the public library in nearby Jesup in April.

Police say the book — which is about a high school teacher's effort to inspire students to write — is valued at $13.95.

Court records show library employees tried repeatedly to contact Koontz by phone and mail. A police officer even visited her home last September.

Officials at the Buchanan County jail say Koontz was released after posting $250 bond. No telephone listing for Koontz could be found in the Independence area.

http://www.wsbt.com/entertainment/weird/38233394.html

[H2O Man]

1. Well .....

I do resent people who borrow my books and don't return them.

[LostinVA]

2. Good

[Redneck Socialist]

3. Heh, I can top that story

One of my roommates in college was arrested for not returning a video. A porn video. :crazy:

"Uh, hey, can you come get me at the police station?"

"The police station? What the hell did you do?"

"Well..."

"Well what?

"Well, you know that video I have?"

"Yeah"

"Well, I guess I should have returned it a while ago."



:eyes:

That particular roommate wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

[Clear Blue Sky]

4. An outrage. She should be water boarded and sent to Gitmo...nt

[htuttle]

"Bookman. Library Investigations..."

Ms Koontz should have just defrauded some banks out of a few billion. Then she probably would have ended up with enough bail out money to buy the stupid book... And she wouldn't have had to worry about the wrath of Officer Bookman.

[DemBones DemBones]

18. If she'd done that, she could not only have bought the book but

read it at her new mansion in another country. The irony. . .

[4lbs]

5. With the amount this is costing her to go through the process, she should have just returned the

book and bought her own copy. It would have been cheaper.

[DRoseDARs]

6. No different than shoplifting. Good she was arrested after MULTIPLE attempts to rectify situation.

Fuck her for wasting everyone else's time, and now wasting the court's time and the state taxpayers' money processing her case when all those resources could have been spent on prosecuting more important crimes.

[Book Lover]

7. That she was arrested is so wrong!

Cancel her card and forbid her to get a new one, sure. But arrest? This is cruel and stupid.

[Crunchy Frog]

8. Well, this seems like an effective use for our nation's jails.

People need to be warned that this sort of egregious act will no longer be tolerated. I hope they throw the book at her. :rofl:

[bobbolink]

12. "I hope they throw the book at her."

:hide:

:applause:

That would be worthy of a DUZY, if there were still DUZYs.

:hi:

[Book Lover]

9. kick

because it still pisses me off that there are DUers who think it's a great thing this woman was arrested.

[treestar]

10. Independence, Iowa must be the safest town on the planet

If they have time for this, they have no murders and no major thefts. No car thefts, no assaults, no robberies.

[seabeyond]

11. good. this is serious stuff. something HAS to be done. i requested

three books that are a part of a series. i cannot get the last book that is just out, cause i am waiting for these other two books. put request in early dec. found out two days ago the same woman had ALL three and is two months late in returning.

i told the librarian to go after the women. better, give me her address and i would go after her.

we all had a good laugh. but even worse.... i was just teasing. people on here really think it is a good idea to arrest this woman. geeeezus.

well

maybe i will make the suggestion at the library. i want those books

no really, still even teasing.

[Book Lover]

17. Interlibrary loan (nm)

[seabeyond]

21. i love that thing. just love it. anyway, started a new series.

none are in town so i have 11 interlibrary for those and then librarian told me she would put those three on interlibrary, .... so man, i am gonna have to do some fast reading once they start coming thru.

but thanks. yes. love that resource.

since really using library for last couple three years, i dont mind nearly as much paying taxes. lol.

[Book Lover]

23. lol!

Me too - I started really using the library on a weekly basis once my little one came along. It's a true treasure and a mark of civilization.

[Deja Q]

13. Wow. Even Al Bundy got less punishment.

:wow:

[Norrin Radd]

14. Ridiculous. Libraries toss out mountains of books every year,

or sell them for a dollar or less at one of those dusty warehouse sales.

[Duer 157099]

15. Freakin irony: I just got back from the library, returned a Koontz book!

I swear, and it was due yesterday, so it was overdue!

[seabeyond]

22. i love koontz. 'cept he started a frankenstein series adn didnt finish. second book

boom, just ends in middle of story. was suppose to write a sequel a year ago or more and hasnt.

but i noticed that too with the name.

i use library so much, IF i am late, i get grace, wink.

[whistler162]

16. I hope she ends up better than the man in prison

for Kidnapping one Robert L. Stevenson.

:0 a story I once heard an vaguely remember.

[asdjrocky]

19. I feel safer.

[CreekDog]

20. why not just treat this kind of thing civilly?

theft charge seems kind of stupid.

how much time is she going to do for 5th degree theft anyway? :wtf: