Worthless Check

I have a close friend that is in trouble, and I need your help. She has been charged with worthless check passage. She usually does her business with debit cards, however, one night she was throwing a party for some handicapped adults in a night class that she was teaching, and she wrote three checks at a local grocery store because the magnetic strip on her debit card was torn. She did recieve a notice from the store, whereupon she mailed payment to a collection agency. She received a second letter later, both regular mail. She did not write down the amount of the checks or the numbers, therefore, she thought that the problem was taken care of. This past weekend she was put in handcuffs and placed before a magistrate and posted bail. Upon returning home, she realized that the phone number on her checks was from a phone number about six years ago that she had changed, therefore the store could not contact her because her present number is unlisted. The magistrate was very kind and urged here to go before a judge and express her situation. Sending this lady to jail would be like sending Edith Bunker to prison. She is scared and depressed. She has no criminal record at all. This case is in North Carolina. She never received a registered letter or phone call. She was arrested in front of her children and neighbors. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

[JETX]

I don't know what kind of 'advice' anyone can give you (or what you are asking for). The 'friend' obviously wrote some bad (worthless) checks and is obviously now paying the consquences for that action. I guess the only advice is "Always know how much money you have in your checking account and don't write checks that exceed that amount".