Twelve-Year-Old to Appear in Court
for Overdue Books
A 7th-grader is scheduled for an appearance in a Colorado municipal court for failing to return a book to the Edwin A. Bemis Public Library in Littleton. Marisa Gohr, 12, had already returned three of four overdue books she had checked out for a research project on dolphins by the time the court summons arrived, and the fourth was returned to the library a week later, along with $9 in fines.
Norma Gohr went to court June 25 on her daughter’s behalf but was told by Judge Jerald G. Kriss that Marisa was named on the summons and must appear in person at a July 9 hearing to show the library receipt and pay a $15 court fee. She consulted the district attorney’s office and learned that children over 10 are responsible for any contract they sign, including library card applications.
“We do everything we can to get books back before getting to the point of sending them to court,” Library Director Margery Smith told the June 26 Denver Post. Concerning the summons, Smith added, “We just look at the name. We don’t consider age.”
Marisa told reporters that the experience has made her hesitant to check out books from the library. Lately, she said, “I just photocopy stuff from books.”
Posted July 1, 2002.
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