Last Updated on: 3rd December 2013, 03:14 pm
I’ve heard of being banned from a single library, from every library in town or even every library in the county. But being told to stay out of every library on earth as a condition of your $1000 bond? Pretty sure that’s a new one. But that’s what happened to Tyree S. Carter of Racine, Wisconsin, when he was hauled into court for allegedly checking out himself rather than the books like everyone else.
An officer was dispatched to the library at 10:36 a.m. Wednesday for a report of Carter’s behavior. The employee who reported the behavior said Carter was on the second floor and was “standing in the open, not trying to conceal the act,” according to his criminal complaint.
When police arrived Carter was seated reading a book at a table and the officer asked Carter if he knew why police were called. He said he had no idea, the complaint said. But when the officer explained, Carter allegedly apologized and said it was his first time doing it in public, according to the criminal complaint.
While it might be new to me, apparently Court Commissioner John Bjelajac has been banning people from everything in the world for a number of years. I had no idea a local court could do that.
The libraries, meanwhile, seem to be appreciative.
Within a few days the story was picked up by media around the country.
Then, this Wednesday Bjelajac said he received a box of chocolates in the mail from Concord, Calif. It came along with a note that said, “Thank you from all the library patrons on the face of the earth.”
He cannot accept gifts like that in his capacity as a court commissioner, so he said, “I turned it over to my secretary and let her enjoy the chocolates.”
Hopefully they weren’t the cream filled ones.
