A mom of 5 in Texas lately discovered herself in scorching water after studying that she may go to jail over library books that her county claims have been by no means returned.
Kaylee Morgan took out books about Vincent van Gogh from Navasota Public Library in Grimes County, Texas, in March 2023. She informed Fox Information Digital that she did, the truth is, return all of the books that she borrowed, however that one was too huge to slot in a returns field.
Courtroom paperwork obtained by Fox Information Digital present that the mixed worth of the 2 books was $60, however Morgan was slapped with a invoice of $569.50 – largely fines and court docket charges. She was additionally charged with a metropolis ordinance violation.
“Warrant is ACTIVE for Your Arrest,” an alarming doc learn. “Act Now to Keep away from Going to Jail.”
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Texas mother Kaylee Morgan is being prosecuted for a library guide that she claims she returned over a yr in the past. (Kaylee Morgan)
However Morgan was unaware that the months-old paperwork existed till lately. The mother mentioned that the problems started when she went by way of the harmless job of renewing her driver’s license final week.
“So I am going in and the DMV tells me that they can not renew my license as a result of I’ve a warrant out for my arrest, and I audibly chortle,” she defined in a video posted to Fb. “And I am shocked as a result of I have never been pulled over, have not obtained any tickets. It simply would not make sense.”
“I largely keep dwelling. I homeschool my children, so it simply did not compute, what she was saying.”
Morgan then known as the native court docket to see what the difficulty was – and was informed that she had two past-due library books. The stressed-out mom then scheduled an appointment with the decide.
“It is so foolish. So foolish. I’ve a warrant out for my arrest for overdue library books. Okay… this isn’t faux. This isn’t made up,” she mentioned, bewildered.
READ THE COURT DOCUMENTS HERE:
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Throughout her assembly with the county decide, Morgan defined that she homeschools her 5 kids and had a troublesome being pregnant across the time the books have been due.
“[In the meeting] I am explaining that we returned the books,” she mentioned. “There was one which was too huge to suit into the return field. And once we did return it, the system was down, however I positively returned it.”
“And that, max, was two weeks late,” Morgan added. “Possibly greater than that, however I used to be pregnant and having some problems, and I used to be on mattress relaxation.”
The decide’s response was lower than sympathetic, Morgan mentioned.
Kaylee Morgan, a Texas mother, would take her kids, together with her daughter (proper), to Navasota Public Library in Grimes County, Texas. (Kaylee Morgan)
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“She informed me she did not need to hear my excuses, that I wanted to take duty,” Morgan recalled. “She mentioned, what I’ve finished by not returning the library books is identical as stealing from Walmart.”
“So on my report it says that I’ve stolen authorities property. Bonkers, proper? Simply bonkers.”
The decide added that the warrant nonetheless stands, and that Morgan won’t be allowed to resume her driver’s license earlier than she pays the $600 ticket – a hefty sum for a single-income household of 5.
“She mentioned, make no mistake that in the event you’re driving in Grimes County with or with out your children, and also you get pulled over, we’ll arrest you. So they are going to arrest me in entrance of my children… I do not know what I will do about this.”
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Kaylee Morgan and her household pictured in Halloween costumes, months after she says she returned the overdue library books. (Kaylee Morgan)
Morgan says she was technically was not served a warrant, as a result of she was fully unaware of its existence.
“[The judge] mentioned they issued the warrant, and any individual signed for it, and I mentioned it wasn’t me, she mentioned. “I did not signal for it. I might know if I had signed her warrant as a result of I might not be driving. I do not need to go to jail. And I requested her who signed it, and he or she mentioned, it would not matter.”
The mom has raised over $1,300 by way of GoFundMe, which has helped repay the fines. Now she plans to rent a lawyer and get the entire mess faraway from her report.
Morgan informed Fox Information Digital that she has acquired a whole lot of assist over the scenario, and hasn’t heard again from authorities since she publicized the scenario.
Grimes County Courthouse (left) and Navasota Public Library (proper) are each places concerned within the authorized case in opposition to Morgan. (Google Maps)
“The response from the group is generally overwhelmingly constructive,” she mentioned. “There are a number of who don’t perceive that I DID flip the guide in and others who assume I’m doing a smear marketing campaign.”
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Fox Information Digital reached out to the Navasota County decide, the Grimes County decide and town supervisor for Navasota, however has not heard again.
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