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A Charlton, Massachusetts mom says her local library crossed the line when they sent police to collect her daughter’s overdue library books.
Her mom says the 5-year-old girl was so afraid that she burst into tears.
She was afraid she was going to jail….
Charlton Police Sergeant Dan Dowd stopped by the home of Shannon Benoit to let her know that her daughter, Hailey, had two books several months overdue which needed to be returned or paid for.
WBZ-TV’s Ken MacLeod reports:
“I thought it was way overboard,†says Benoit. “I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.â€
Hailey asked her mom if the police were going to arrest her. Hailey says, “I was scared.â€
They found and returned the books, but Hailey’s mom argues that sending a cop to their house was like pounding a ten penny nail with a sledge hammer.
Even Sgt. Dowd admits he wasn’t real keen on it.
“Nobody wanted to, on this end to get involved in it,†says Sgt. Dowd. “But the library contacted us, and the chief delegated, and apparently I was one of the low men on the totem pole.â€
But state law does outline a misdemeanor for such things, and police thought a friendly reminder might make a better impression and get better results than a cold summons to court.
The Benoit’s insist they never got any warnings.
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William M. Windsor
I, William M. Windsor, am not an attorney. This website expresses my OPINIONS. The comments of visitors or guest authors to the website are their opinions and do not therefore reflect my opinions. Anyone mentioned in any article is invited to respond on the record. This website does not provide legal advice. I do not give legal advice. I do not practice law. This website is to expose government corruption, law enforcement corruption, political corruption, and judicial corruption. Whatever this website says about the law is presented in the context of how I or others perceive the applicability of the law to a set of circumstances if I (or some other author) was in the circumstances under the conditions discussed. Despite of my concerns about lawyers in general, I suggest that anyone with legal questions consult an attorney for an answer, particularly after reading anything on this website. The law is a gray area at best. Please read our Legal Notice and Terms.
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