Arrest Warrant Issued for Houston Mom Over Late Library Book

HOUSTON, Texas (KPEL News) - A stay-at-home mom is facing jail time after an arrest warrant was issued over a late library book, leading to questions about whether or not the legal action is an overreach.

Kaylee Morgan, who is a wife and a stay-at-home mother of five in the Houston area, borrowed the books in March of last year.

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“I really didn’t believe it," Morgan said in a television interview. "Like, I really thought I’m on Punked or something like this is not true.”

“This has definitely been stressful," she added. "I exclusively breastfed my daughter so now I’m having to navigate pumping in case I get arrested."

Morgan's story is a stunning one.

At the time she borrowed the books, which were for her children, she was experiencing a rough pregnancy. She was dealing with hyperemesis and placenta previa. While she didn't return the books by the return date, she did say that her husband returned all but one book. The one not returned didn’t fit inside the library’s drop box.

What happened next floored her.

When she went to renew her driver’s license, she found out there was a warrant for a $570 ticket -- yes, $570 ... for overdue books. As she tried to explain the situation to Judge Patricia M. Gruner, Morgan said the judge did not want to hear her “excuses” and said she needed to “take responsibility.”
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Morgan said when she offered to pay for the missing books, even though they’ve been returned, the judge told her that they were beyond that point in the process and Morgan now needed to make things right.
“She told me that by returning the books late, I had done the equivalent of walking out of Walmart without paying for merchandise,” Morgan wrote on her GoFundMe account. “They now refuse to reinstate my license until I pay the ticket and there is an active warrant out for my arrest in Grimes County.”

Morgan has called the fees "excessive," and area moms have canceled their library cards in the county out of fear that it could also happen to them.

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