A man from Texas was arrested after failing to return a book he borrowed three years ago from a library, according to the Associated Press.
Jory Enck, was arrested for not returning a GED study guide that he borrowed from the Central Texas community of Copperas Cove, the report said.
"I think I will probably just purchase a book from Amazon," Enck told the Daily Herald.
Last September, a new state law was took effect and made failure to return library books equivalent to theft. According to the report, the new law doesn't trump stricter community ordinances that punish the non-return of borrowed books, but fines violators $100 per offense.
There were many cases in which overdue-book offenders were jailed for a week. States like Iowa, Vermont, and Maine call for fines or issue warrants of arrest in similar cases, MSN News said.
"I was a police officer for 12 years, and while it wasn't a regular daily thing, we had maybe a couple of these a year," Kevin Keller, Copperas Cove city spokesman, told the Associated Press. Keller said that he was surprised why Enck's arrest in October got so much attention especially on the Internet.
Copperas Cove, about 70 miles northwest of Austin, has a 2002 ordinance that fines users $200 for failing to return a library item 20 days after receiving a written notice. The ordinance further stresses that if the fine remains unpaid, a municipal court then issues a warrant.
Keller said he didn't know how many people were jailed on account of library-related offenses.
On the day of Enck's arrest, police came to check an unrelated disturbance charge. However, the arresting officers apprehended Enck after finding a past warrant for the study guide Enck borrowed.
Enck paid the $200 bond, requested time-served, and returned the book. He explained that he was unable to return the book because he borrowed it before he served a three-year prison term for robbery, the report said.
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