UPDATE, August 26, 2008: Video of Heidi Dalibor on the Today Show
Dalibor and her mother, Patty Dalibor, appeared on national TV Monday, yucking it up about her arrest.
Mother Dalibor referred to her 20-year-old daughter as a "teenager." Yes, that might be part of the problem. Heidi needs to grow up, act like a big girl.
Moral of the story: Spitting in the face of authority, ignoring a court date, and behaving selfishly has its rewards.
Fame and a free trip to New York -- What a lesson!
__________________
One could consider the arrest of 20-year-old Heidi Dalibor to be an outrage or a joke or completely appropriate.
Is it going overboard for police to arrest, handcuff, and book someone for overdue library books?
It seems extreme to me. Law enforcement resources could be better used for more serious matters, ones pertaining to public safety.
From the Sheboygan Press:
A Grafton woman has been arrested and booked for failing to pay her library fines.
Twenty-year-old Heidi Dalibor told the News Graphic in Cedarburg she ignored the library’s calls and letters as well as a notice to appear in court.
Still, she was surprised when officers with a warrant knocked on her door, cuffed her and took her to the police station to be fingerprinted and photographed.
...The incident cost Dalibor about $30 for the overdue paperbacks “White Oleander” and “Angels and Demons” and her mother nearly $172 to get her out of custody.
When I first heard this story, I thought Grafton police were a little heavy-handed, Barney Fife run amok.
Then I heard Dalibor interviewed by Brendan Conway.
Watch video from WISN 12 News.
DALIBOR: I said, 'What could they possibly do? They're not going to arrest me for this.'
You know, I was wrong.
...A lot to do [sic], a lot about nothing. Two library books. They were $28.
...I completely take responsibility for not paying my fine on time and not going to my court date.
Dalibor ignored 4 notices from the library, 2 phone calls and 2 letters. The library forwarded the case to police. According to policy, police issued a citation and a court date.
Dalibor said she worked that day and forgot about the whole thing.
What a lame excuse!
I'm glad Dalibor was arrested. She obviously has no respect for the law, completely blowing off a court date.
She has no right to take out library books and never return them.
Grafton wouldn't have much of a library if all its patrons were like Dalibor.
Her comment, "What could they possibly do? They're not going to arrest me for this," shows that she knowingly disregarded the notices for her to return the property that did not belong to her.
Is that really "a lot to do" about nothing?
I don't think it's nothing. I think she showed a total lack of respect for others and the law.
In an interview with FOX 6, she sounds even worse than she did on the 12 News segment.
She doesn't seem to realize that these interviews aren't making Grafton Police look foolish. They're making her look awful.
DALIBOR: At the point where they sent a notice that they were gonna use police enforcement, um, I kind of laughed about it and didn't think they would take it to the extreme that they did."
Dalibor laughed?
And now she's whining about her arrest being on her record?
Not too bright.
All she had to do was return the books and pay up. All she had to do was remember to go to court.
Doesn't she understand how a library works? The books and other materials are there for the community to use. The library doesn't operate so she can take whatever she wants and make it her own.
She claims that she takes responsibility for not paying the fine and failing to show up in court.
Still, Dalibor thinks her punishment was out of line. Of course she does. She obviously thinks she doesn't have to follow rules. They don't apply to her.
In spite of her remarks about taking responsibility, she's clearly irresponsible, selfish, and incredibly immature.
Did she reimburse mommy for the $172 she had to pay to get her little girl out of jail?
Maybe she forgot, or maybe mommy thinks it's OK for Heidi to rip off the library with impunity. Maybe Heidi's mommy thinks it's OK to disregard a court summons. We know Heidi does.
Does Dalibor believe that she's entitled to park in handicapped spaces, too?
Look at Dalibor's mug shot.
She doesn't look too concerned, does she?
37 comments:
yeah the story demonstrates what kind of person she was. maybe she could use a couple weeks in prison to think about it.
I just watched the interview. It didn't seem that she didn't care, or that she was SO surprised she was arrested. It seemed to me that she was regretful for not taking it more seriously than she thought she should have. She took responsibility for her actions. And so what that she smiled for her mug shot. The mugshot pictures that she has probably seen in her life were most likely of hardcore criminals (terrorists, murderers, etc). She forgot to return two library books. I think it IS kind of funny. It wasn't like she went to a book store and stole them. She borrowed them from a library, and didn't return them on time. She didn't have the intention of stealing them when she went there. She gave the library all of her information before taking out the books. Give me a break. Im not saying she shouldn't have gotten arrested, law is law.
This is simply an outrage. Fines for overdue books are a CIVIL matter. But arresting someone and holding them for bail is limited to CRIMINAL matters. That the city/state used criminal powers of arrest for a civil matter is a very serious violation of Ms. Dalibor's rights and endangers every other Citizen's rights.
Sounds like Ms. Dalibor most likely owed the fines. But the library is limited to CIVIL means to get it - you can't go around arresting people over civil debts. I hope Ms. Dalibor sues the pants off of the library, police department, "arresting officers," and whoever issued the "warrant" for her arrest.
http://audiofiles1.jerryseinfeld.nl/Bookman2.mp3
Dalibor's total disregard for authority comes out in each of the interviews.
Sure, she tosses in the "I take responsibility" line, but listen to her comments:
"What could they possibly do? They're not going to arrest me for this."
"At the point where they sent a notice that they were gonna use police enforcement, um, I kind of laughed about it and didn't think they would take it to the extreme that they did."
Her attitude is clear. She "forgets" about her court date, is threatened with arrest, and she laughs about it?
What's her problem?
I don't see why anyone would act as an apologist for that sort of behavior.
Dalibor failed to show up in court. Isn't that really why she was arrested?
Dalibor is no victim. She couldn't have been more irresponsible.
I would never disregard FOUR notices from the library. I would never have forgotten about a COURT DATE. I would never LAUGH OFF notice that "police enforcement" would be used.
From the WISN report:
"Heidi says she doesn't hold anything against the police, but she also says she's in no hurry to use her library card again."
"The library director says he sends about 20 cases a year to police but most people avoid arrest by going to court and either returning the book or paying for it."
I hope 20-year-old Dalibor now understands that she can't spit in the face of authority.
This spoiled little snot should have gotten a week's worth of community service in addition to her fine. Her crime was theft from an agency of her local government. If she had swiped a couple of books from Barnes and Noble, it wouldn't have been so bad. After all, she was stealing from every taxpayer in the district served by the library. She was just stealing books, figuring it was too much trouble to chase her down.
Her crime was similar to, let's say, stealing a couple of tires from a government vehicle. Not a civil matter at all when you steal from a government agency.
I mean, can someone post nudes of Heidi please?
According to KMBC-TV, Quote: Still, she isn't planning on returning the books.
"I still have the books, and I don't plan to return them because they're paid for now," Dalibor said. Unquote.
http://www.kmbc.com/money/17265120/detail.html
I thought she only paid the fine for the overdue fees. But aren't the books still library property? If she still keeps the books isn't that the same as theft?
Those of you completely slandering a girl whom you do not know while sitting behind the safety of your computer screen with your protected online aliases are pretty self righteous. "I would never steal library books!" Get off your high horses.
""I thought she only paid the fine for the overdue fees. But aren't the books still library property? If she still keeps the books isn't that the same as theft?""
Heidi paid for the books in full, both fine and price of the books which is why she gets to keep them. They are now legally her property. This case is not tantamount to theft, for she knew the government could come find her if they wanted to. She was still "borrowing" them. It is not as if she had ran to Santa Cruz and changed her name, complete with a new nose job. The books were only a few months overdue. She simply had never heard of anyone being criminally arrested for such a thing, and did not know it could happen to her. These thoughts are completely understandable.
Whoever said she could use a couple of weeks in prison to think about it, you obviously do not understand what prison is for --- real criminals. Cases such as this, when fought CRIMINALLY just suck tax dollars and time which our officials could be using to "protect and serve".
Sure, the government should have taken action, and always will in order to to prove no one is above the law, but wouldn't it have made much more sense to give her a citation equal to an overdue parking violation and not arrest and hold her on bail? This type of case SHOULD be kept to a civil matter.
Those nudes of Heidi your looking for *melt*... I know her personally and there will be a site coming soon complete with a "book borrower fetish" section filled with alike "criminals", for which she will be the poster child.
Nice. Which means the library will have to go through the trouble of replacing them. I know that's not a big deal, but it's something they shouldn't have to do. Particularly at the hands of a self centered vacant such as she is.
jimi5150 said: "Ignoring the court IS a criminal matter." NO IT'S NOT. Not for civil court on a civil matter, which is exactly what failing to return library books is.
Anyone can ignore a civil summons as a defendant and laugh and chuckle about it all they want. The plaintiff will most likely win against you by default, but it's still up to them to collect from you via CIVIL means, not criminal. That means nobody goes to jail over a debt (read: library fines) - there's no debtor's prison in America.
Those of you who think otherwise, start learning what America is really about. It's a pretty good place, really.
Had the library files a case against the woman it would then be a civil matter. That's not what happened. The court ordered the arrest warrant for failure to appear. That's a criminal offense.
Sorry jimi5150, but that's wrong. No court in America can convert a civil matter into a criminal matter. Ms. Dalibor committed no alleged criminal offense, and without that, no criminal warrant can be issued. If that's what happened, whoever issued the unlawful warrant against her belongs in jail.
Good lord, people -- some of these comments are ignorantly embarrassing. Learn to be Americans!
Grafton -- Dalibor checked out Angels and Demons and White Oleander, but never returned them. The library sent her two notices and gave two calls, but the books weren't returned.
That's when they turned the case over to police. The police gave her notice she had to appear in court or pay the fine.
That didn't happen and the courts issued an arrest warrant...
“Under those circumstances the warrant says we shall arrest, so that's why it got to the point it did,” Grafton Police Chief Charles Wenten said.
Reports show several other people that didn't return their library books. They were issued a fine or ordered in to court. In those cases, they either paid the fine or went to court.
“Yeah I 100 percent admit it was my fault. I should have paid it,” Dalibor said. “I can't really blame the cops. They were doing what they had to do.”
___________
Now...
What don't you understand about Dalibor's arrest?
But does she have any Folgers coffee cryatals?
Mary said: "That's when they turned the case over to police. The police gave her notice she had to appear in court or pay the fine."
Sorry, but no can do. The police can't convert a civil matter to a criminal matter either. Just because the police say something doesn't make it so. The power to compel a court appearance (subpoenas) or issue warrant is judicial and has strict constitutional rules which it must follow. According to the facts published, either the police, the court or both issued an unsupported warrant under color of law. Huge no-no.
And police have no powers the average citizen doesn't have - while every Citizen has arrest powers, no Citizen has the power to arrest people over alleged debts (neither do the police). And if that happened (as in this case), that's a false arrest which has very serious consequences.
That Dalibor doesn't understand her rights (or doesn't care) bothers me insofar as her violation will be used as precedent for future violations of the People's rights.
Here's a news flash: GOVERNMENT BREAKS THE LAW. (probably more than anyone else) When they do, it's up the People to hold them accountable. So start doing it.
Wow. What's so hard to understand? The police didn't convert anything. Failure to appear is failure to appear. The library did not submit court papers. It was NEVER a civil matter. The court issued the warrant. When she failed to appear for court, it became a criminal matter . . . in accordance to law.
I'm not saying it's right. But, it is "what happened".
Hey "anonymous 7:45 PM, August 22, 2008"--
You write: "Mary said."
That's wrong. That's not my statement, not my interpretation. That statement appears on MSNBC's site. Follow the link. I'm quoting the story. The story quotes the police chief.
So your explanation is that the Grafton police chief is doing something illegal. Grafton's policies and procedures are illegal.
Dalibor is a victim of those law-breaking thugs in Grafton's government. Poor thing. She's so stupid she doesn't realize it. Is that it?
What should we do now? Call the ACLU? Call J.B. Van Hollen? Text message Barack Obama?
My advice to you: Stop digging.
I Like this girl! Rememberme Martin Luther King!
I just freedom man fku. I am a man! Perhaps i invented the lib´
Burns the library.
I went to school with this girl and I think it's completely ridiculous to arrest her. It goes to show how ridiculous GRAFTON and the police department is. Overdue library book? Please. She could've just gone in there and renewed it but of course they went to more extreme measures.
Mary wrote: "So your explanation is that the Grafton police chief is doing something illegal. Grafton's policies and procedures are illegal."
Yes, based on what I read - a violation of fundamental law and Ms. Dalibor's inalienable rights (that same ones you and I have). Sounds like either the police chief is culpable, individual officers, the "judge" who handled the "case," or all of the above.
"Dalibor is a victim of those law-breaking thugs in Grafton's government. Poor thing."
If that's your attitude when government breaks the law, then cry me a river when you're thrown in jail someday without bail for paying your electric bill a day late. Poor Mary -- she should have just paid her bills on time.
"She's so stupid she doesn't realize it. Is that it?"
Probably. I was pretty stoopid when I was 20. (thank you, publik skoolz!) But as I got older, I decided it would be beneficial to begin learning about certain subject matters that affect everybody, but for which most remain willfully and abysmally ignorant. (Hint: if you're not controlling your legal relations, somebody else is). Hopefully Ms. Dalibor will follow a similar path.
"What should we do now?"
Start by reading history. What did the Founders do when the King began breaking the law?
Oh, for crying out loud . . . a person won't get arrested and thrown in jail for not paying their electric bill. That's just retarded and continuing to not understand. Heidi didn't get arrested for over due books. She was arrested for FAILURE TO APPEAR.
Wow. Don't go into law.
Ever.
It's hopeless, Jimi. We're going in circles.
"Anonymous" refuses to grasp why Dalibor was arrested.
"Anonymous" has made clear his/her view that the government is abusive and we're victims.
I would never find myself in Dalibor's position. I wouldn't ignore 4 notices from the library, a citation and a court summons. I wouldn't laugh that off, as she says she did.
At 20, I would never have behaved the way she did. At 10, I would never have behaved like her.
I guess it's hard for "anonymous" to comprehend that some people are responsible.
"Anonymous" suggests that we read up on the American revolution to learn how to fight back against our oppressive government.
Good grief.
Game over "anonymous."
Agreed.
jimi5150 said: "Oh, for crying out loud . . . a person won't get arrested and thrown in jail for not paying their electric bill."
Says who? Once upon a time Americans would have scoffed at the very idea someone would be thrown in jail over overdue library books. The legal theory behind Ms. Dalibor's arrest and incarcerating you electric bill deadbeats is the same.
mary said: "'Anonymous' refuses to grasp why Dalibor was arrested."
No, I understand completely. What occurred to Ms. Dalibor is called a false arrest most likely supported by a false warrant.
""Anonymous" has made clear his/her view that the government is abusive and we're victims."
Dalibor is the subject here, so who is "we"?
But general speaking, the Founders concur: "...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government..."
"I would never find myself in Dalibor's position. I wouldn't ignore 4 notices from the library, a citation and a court summons. I wouldn't laugh that off, as she says she did."
Good for you! But it doesn't matter if creatures of government can convert civil matters into criminal at whim. Off to jail you go, Mary. Bye, bye! See you someday (maybe).
"'Anonymous' suggests that we read up on the American revolution to learn how to fight back against our oppressive government."
And what's wrong with that?
jimi5150 said: "She was arrested for FAILURE TO APPEAR."
Failure to appear for what? A civil or criminal proceeding? Do you even understand the difference between the two?
"Wow. Don't go into law."
Too late. I've won cases in general sessions, state circuit court, and federal district court; I've yet to lose a case. Maybe you shouldn't dispense such advice so readily.
Oh yeah. I believe that.
One word: summons.
Yikes.
jimi5101 wrote: "Oh yeah. I believe that."
Your failure to answer the questions: "A civil or criminal proceeding? Do you even understand the difference between the two?" admits you haven't a clue whether the matter is civil or criminal, or that you even understand the difference between the two.
“Sometimes it’s better to remain silent and have others think you’re ignorant, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
jimi5150 wrote: "One word: summons."
WHAT KIND OF SUMMONS?
The article said nothing about a "summons," but a warrant for her arrest (a.k.a. an "arrest warrant"). Arrest warrants are CRIMINAL and issued only upon PROBABLE CAUSE (do you even know what that is?)
Now, explain to the good readers how a CIVIL MATTER (unpaid library fines) can be lawfully converted to a CRIMINAL matter. (hint: it can't)
In the meantime, I suggest you go back to watering your plants with Brawndo™ The Thirst Mutilator.
That's why you're clearly full of it. One, if you don't know what a summons is you need to go back to law school. Though clearly you never went there in the first place. Some online certificate perhaps? Second, it's ignorant to make claims based just on the apparent one article you read on this. Not very good investigating. Third, no where did I say this was EVER a civil matter. In fact, it doesn't say that ANYWHERE. You are the one making that claim.
Here's a thought. As a "lawyer" or whatever, why don't you go after the Grafton police department? Since you're claim is that this arrest was "false", why don't you contact Heidi and represent her in a case against the GPD? Think of the notoriety! Think of the money!
I can't wait to hear the excuses why you won't. Or, rather, can't. Though, I already know.
Sorry, Mary.
jimi5150 wrote: "One, if you don't know what a summons is you need to go back to law school."
Excuse me, I asked YOU what KIND of "summons" was issued. You didn't answer the question, though granted, it was primarily for rhetorical purposes. Thank you for admitting you don't know. Now stop throwing the term around.
"Second, it's ignorant to make claims based just on the apparent one article you read on this."
Who's making claims? How do you know how many articles about the incident I've read? All of my comments are qualified as based upon available information. That being said, here's the alleged "incident report": http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/
2008/0821081books2.html
Notice it says there was "an active warrant for Failure to Return Library Materials $171.94."
"Warrant" = criminal matter.
"Failure to Return Library Materials" = civil (contractual) matter.
This is America where neither the police, judges, legislators, governors, mayor or libraries can convert a civil matter into a criminal one. Obviously you hate this fact, which means America is not the right country for you.
"Third, no where did I say this was EVER a civil matter."
I don't care what you said or didn't say. Ms. Dalibor's alleged "offense" IS a CIVIL MATTER, meaning the library's remedies are limited to lawful CIVIL means. That too many Americans have become too dumb to understand this is of greatest concern to me.
"why don't you go after the Grafton police department? "
Look up "standing" in a legal dictionary.
I have a theory about jimi5150 and those likeminded. They love socialism. They love using the heavy arm of government to "get" the "bad people" who personally offend them to "teach them a lesson". But what they fail to realize is socialism is a double-edged sword. That sword you love to cut down others will eventually be swung back at you. And you won't like it then.
That being said, I hope that someday in near future, jimi5150, you are arrested for something like "Failure to Keep Parking Meter Current" (expired meter) for "Depriving the City of Revenue" or maybe "Failure to Keep Hedges Properly Trimmed." I hope they incarcerate YOU for a LONG time in a dank, dark cell where you are cold, hungry, lonely, and scared out of your wits. Then maybe, just maybe, you'll begin to understand the wisdom of the Founders, how America (should) work, how the law works, and why liberty is the moral superior to socialism.
"Sorry, Mary."
Sorry, America for the jimi5150's. Sorry, Founders for what much of your posterity has become.
No need to apologize, Jimi.
"Anonymous" is a "blame America first" type.
It's maddening, I know.
"Alleged"? That's funny. Further proof you don't know what you're talking about. I'm not going over this again. We'll have to agree to that we think the other person is wrong and leave it at that.
One thing is for sure, there's a good reason I'll never be arrested or jailed for anything like this.
I wouldn't be as blatantly stupid as Heidi was by ignoring the simplest of actions. So, go ahead and hope all you want.
One thing, though . . . I wish you a good day. My desire is to know people can have differences yet be . . .
(this is good . . . )
civil. Ha! I used it again.
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