^^They originally did sue him for the small debt ($1500 or $2600). That’s how the court got involved for him to be arrested for ignoring the court order. The original debt was small. Ignoring it brought big trouble.
Most states have bounced check laws that allow recovery of 3x the amount of the check or a minimum of $100. If the person could only recover the $10, or even $30, it isn’t worth the trouble to recover, so the law sets a minimum. Plus attorney’s fees. Plus any charge your bank may have assessed. A huge penalty for a small initial amount.