What happens when you can’t make bail? You end up using shoes as bail money… if they’re nice enough.
A man in Framingham, Massachusetts was arrested for owing $450 in court fees. He was flat broke and couldn’t come up with the money so Judge Douglas Stoddard suggested he think of a creative alternative to bail cash. The man quickly offered up his jazzy new shoes. MetroWest Daily News reports:
Stoddart told Duval he didn’t trust him to release him without bail because the judge said he didn’t believe Duval would pay any money. He offered to send Duval to jail for a few days and then do away with the court costs, but Duval said he didn’t want that to happen.
“I’ll give you a chance to be creative,” said Stoddart. “If you can come up with a creative idea to convince me that you’ll come back, I’ll work with you.”
After a brief break, Duval offered up his new shoes. Stoddart took those as bail and told Duval he would get the sneakers back after he paid $100 in $25 weekly installments, beginning Jan. 13. The judge said he would also return the shoes if Duval did 10 hours of community service in that time frame.
