Library Chief Criticized for Requiring Subpoena

sudnshok writes "Hasbrouck Heights (NJ) Library Director Michele Reutty is under fire for refusing to give police library circulation records without a subpoena. Her lawyer explained, 'Reutty did the right thing... At no time did Michele Reutty say to any police officer or anybody else that she would not give the information if it was properly requested.' However, borough labor lawyer Ellen Horn, who also represented the library trustees, said Reutty was 'more interested in protecting' her library than helping the police. 'It was an absolute misjudgment of the seriousness of the matter,' Horn said."

Rebelious Librarians

[Digitus1337]

When will our legislature take a stand against these domestic book-huggers?

Re:She Did The Wrong Thing

[Anonymous Coward]

If we go and throw out logically reasoned laws everytime a kid is in trouble from some jerk we'll throw the law to the wind and have a "society" of chaotic anarchy, no offense to anarchists.

None taken.

-- A card-carrying anarchist.

Re:Grandma was right

[myowntrueself]

Teachers and librarians are the real heroes. They change the world without ever kicking down a door.

What kind of pussy gym teacher did you have?? Let me guess, liberal arts education?

pfffft!

Re:She Did The Wrong Thing

[inKubus]

P.S. Every major city will be holding a book burning this July 4th in celebration of our Independence; our Independence from free-thought that does not consist of A. Jesus or B. NASCAR.

Re:She Did The Wrong Thing

[vertinox]

The police are out there busting their hump, protecting you and me. 99% of them are good

Apparently you've never been pulled over by a cop in Georgia.

Re:I'm Sick of Appeals to Fear

[daveschroeder]

1. Sounds like you have an axe to grind. Are you the "grungy 23 year old" in question?

2. Many people who aren't cops have friends who are cops. Or in the military. Or in other parts of government. And no, they're not all fat cats or co-conspirators. I know this may be hard for you to believe.

3. Police don't "hate" civilians. (WTF?)

4. "THEIR JESUS, THEIR POWER"? Uh, dude, I think you'd better hit your water bong again. Your paranoia is running a bit low.

Re:Leave it to New Jersey

[rangerfan558]

As a Lifelong resident, I have to agree. From local goverment to the state house, this state S*cks. As soon as my kids graduate, it's off to another state that lets me own a gun with out a hassle, and to let me shoot off a couple of bottle rockets to celebrate this COUNTRY's Independance, from the vey TYRANNY we are facing today.

Re:Oh the Pain

[iminplaya]

...who do we ask to protect us?

El Chapulin Colorado!

Re:Oh the Pain

[espinafre]

From the Wikipedia entry:

Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychoanalysis, stated the following: "A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity."

Priceless!

Re:Oh the Pain

[wordsofwisedumb]

When the police are breaking the laws (or sneaking around them) who do we ask to protect us?

Librarians.

Apropos Quotation

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

In this case the proper quote would be:

"Those who would give up essential libraries to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither libraries nor safety."

Re:Oh the Pain

[Geoffreyerffoeg]

I think a button saying LIBeRtARIAN would work as well.

Ether?

[colinrichardday]

Where in the last 400 years has any nation really had ether, or even really attempted to have ether?

While undergoing surgery?

Re:Send your thanks to...

[McGiraf]

AT&T just told the NSA that you are supporting someone who pissed off the cops ...

Re:She Did The Wrong Thing

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently you've never been pulled over by a cop in Georgia.

I'll see your cop in Georgia and raise you a cop in Louisiana.

Re:seriousness of the matter?

[Scudsucker]

Calm down here.

No.

It's not unreasonable

Yes, it is.

or a cop in a hurry to ask if he or she can get the evidence *without* spending the time calling the judge, spending the political capital and man-hours to get a warrant or subpoena, etc.

Too damn bad. Breaking the law in order to enforce other laws is not only wrong, but stupid. As this librarian stated, if this information had been collected against the law, it might have been thrown out of court.

Re:Success vs. Start

[indifferent children]

Once the suicides start, how do you tell the voluntary ones from the (ah hem) involuntary ones?

Trust us.

Re:Ask for a warrant...

[jamstigator]

This reminds me of an encounter I had with the police. I was in the Army, but home on leave. I decided to visit my sister, by walking to her home, about a 4 mile journey. On the way I bought a cold beer. Not wanting to be a bad role model or anything, I kept it in the paper bag it came in as I swigged on it. Well, I did look young, although I was 21 and completely legal. A cop stopped me and asked what was in the bag, and I told him it was a cold beer. He asked for my ID. I asked what would happen to me if I didn't provide identification and he told me he'd have to take me to the police station. Since the police station was about 2.5 miles closer to my sister's house than my current location, this seemed like a good deal to me, so I declined to show him my ID and he told me to get in the car, which I did.

We got to the station and he asked me again to show him identification, which I promptly produced. Seeing that I was 21 and therefore had broken no laws, he asked me why I had refused to show him my identification previously, to which I replied, "Because you just got me a whole lot closer to where I was going, and frankly, I was tired of walking in the heat." This produced much laughter from his police comrades, and clearly pissed him off no end, but I had done nothing wrong, and they couldn't hold me, so I left and was at my sister's house about 40 minutes faster than I could have arrived without the police serving as my personal taxi. ;)