Actress Tika Sumpter’s Mother Arrested Over Overdue Library Book

Southside With You actress Tika Sumpter‘s mother was arrested for owing a $10 late fee on an overdue library book.

ACTRESS TIKA SUMPTER’S MOTHER ARRESTED

Sumpter, who played Michelle Robinson in the a new film about the Obamas first date, was furious over the ludicrous reaction to a library late fee, and took to Twitter to air her complaint. The mother, Janice Acquista, is a retired correctional officer with no criminal record. The arrest took place in Johnson County, North Carolina. While the library website lays out the late fees for books, a whopping 25 cents a day and 50 cents for digital media, it makes no mention of legal consequences for keeping your book past its due date.

“Treated like a criminal for a late fee of 10 dollars for overdue books at the library,” Sumpter tweeted. “Libraries now put out warrants.”

Make sure you turn in your library books North Carolina! My mom was just arrested for having a late fee of 10 dollars on an overdue book!

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— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 14, 2016

An overdue book should NEVER result in a warrant. This is a legal scam. @northcarolina @SmithfieldLibra @PatMcCroryNC @RoyCooperNC

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 14, 2016

Scam. It’s also more for the stars to collect court fees and bail. #ncgov https://t.co/4rieSpT0x5

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 14, 2016

Umm yes. Yup treated like a criminal for a late fee of 10 dollars for over due books from the library.Libraries now put out warrants. #Ncgov https://t.co/7mCEI60qdD

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 15, 2016

Yes sir. She’s out now. Every cop at the jail thought it was absolutely ridiculous. They couldn’t even believe it. Smh #ncgov https://t.co/MDIx06Euxp

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 15, 2016

Be safe out there. What you think can’t happen to you,can. P.S. My mom returned the book a while back, someone didn’t put it in the system.

— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) November 15, 2016

After the drama of the arrest, it came out that Acquista had actually returned the book months earlier, but an employee failed to input that into the system. Then police claimed the arrest was not even late-fee motivated, citing a check Acquista wrote that bounced and she never settled up.

Sumpter later tweeted that her mother was let out of the local jail.