A man spent five months in jail as he was unaware his bail was just $2 (£1.40).
Aitabdel Salem, a 41-year-old New York resident, was arrested for trying to steal a coat from Zara in the city. He was then jailed for reportedly attacking an officer and given a $25,000 (£17,300) bail.
This is where it gets a little complicated.
According to New York Daily News, prosecutors couldn't indict him and an order was given which stipulated that he should be released a few days later. The thing is, Salem had a couple of minor charges on his record which in turn required a bail of $1 each.
Salam claims that he was never told this. To be fair, why would he lie. He spent five months locked up for the cost of less than half a pint of beer.
From November 2014 to April 2015, he was locked up for pretty much no reason. Hell, I would've sent over the £1.40.
He now has new lawyers, Glenn Hardy and Theodore Goldbergh, who are accusing his old lawyer, Stephen Pokart of the Legal Aid Society, of not letting him know about the changes.
Hardy said Salem 'was shocked and dismayed and frustrated' that his case was unconscionably mishandled.
He said: "There was no communication by his attorney telling him his bail was $2 which he could have made at any moment."
Salem is now behind bars again after confusion surrounding a court date that he was required to attend back in May. His new lawyers said that the letter informing Salem of the arraignment had been returned to the sender and that he had never seen it.
His bail is now set at $30,000 (£20,773).
Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: Getty
Featured Image Credit:Topics: America, Money, crime, Jail, Prison