www.startribune.com -- As a sheriff's deputy dumped the contents of Joy Uhlmeyer's purse into a sealed bag, she begged to know why she had just been arrested while driving home to Richfield after an Easter visit with her elderly mother.No one had an answer. Uhlmeyer spent a sleepless night in a frigid Anoka County holding cell, her hands tucked under her armpits for warmth. Then, handcuffed in a squad car, she was taken to downtown Minneapolis for booking. Finally, after 16 hours in limbo, jail officials fingerprinted Uhlmeyer and explained her offense -- missing a court hearing over an unpaid debt. "They have no right to do this to me," said the 57-year-old patient care advocate, her voice as soft as a whisper. "Not for a stupid credit card."It's not a crime to owe money, and debtors' prisons were abolished in the United States in the 19th century. But people are routinely being thrown in jail for failing to pay debts. In Minnesota, which has some of the most creditor-friendly laws in the country, the use of arrest warrants against debtors has jumped 60 percent over the past four years, with 845 cases in 2009, a Star Tribune analysis of state court data has found.
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4 Comments
Add your own1. PrincessLiberty | July 13th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Welcome to the NWO!!!
2. Scott | July 13th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
The woman was not arrested because of a debt. She brought the problem on herself by her attitude. “You can’t do this to me.”
The administration of our laws needs to be upheld.
3. Breanne | July 13th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
When will the world finally end?!
4. gary | July 13th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
henepin county is conspiring to deprive people of there constitutional rights by 1 debtor prison clause 2 denialof bail for bails intended purpose 3 allowing the illegal incarceration and theft of resorces and information for debts not proven by due process. a class action lawsuit is needed here . it could potentialy break the county and put a huge monetary loss on the illegaly ,and immoraly,acts of these bloodleaching hucksters. but why ami not surpised to see this happening in the arch liberal bastion of minneapolis. to liberals the cnstitution is only a worthless paper to be perverted for there own gain i.e. the redistribution of wealth from the working classes to the liberal elite
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