Man Spends 5 Months At Rikers Island Without Knowing His Bail Was Only $2

Can you imagine serving 5 months in jail...only to find out you could've been a free man the entire time? That's exactly what happened to Aitabdel Salem. The Queens man spent nearly half a year (November 2014 to April 2015) at Rikers Island without knowing his bail was just $2.

The 41-year-old inmate was originally jailed on a $25,000 bail for attacking a police officer who was arresting him for stealing a coat at Zara. And while no one notified him, he caught a lucky break when prosecutors couldn't get an indictment. Days later, he was ordered release on November 28, 2014.

However, Salem couldn't be released because he still had $2 left on his bail from previous minor offenses. He could've been free for the price of your morning coffee...but no one thought to communicate that with him.

Salem is blaming his old attorney, Stephen Pokart, for withholding information from him. When he testified, Salem's new lawyers pointed their fingers at Pokart for failing to notify his client about his potential release.

“(Salem) was shocked and dismayed and frustrated that his case was unconscionably mishandled and there was no communication by his attorney telling him his bail was $2 which he could have made at any moment,” said Glenn Hardy, Salem's new attorney. 

This is why we don't trust our criminal justice system!