The tall doors opened to a cold courtroom. It was empty except for three district attorneys who occupied the brown benches in a bail case today at the Boston Municipal Court. Between the American and Massachusetts state flag, Judge Carol Ball sat in response to a proposition to lower the price of David Montgomery’s bail.
A $500 and $200 cash bail was previously made for 39 year old, Montgomery who was charged for breaking probation and shoplifting a blouse and pair of sunglasses from Saks Fifth Avenue. Judge Ball recited that Montgomery had spent 18 months behind bars due to several circumstances with shoplifting in the past, which caused hesitation to make any change to the initiative,
According to district attorney John Russell, Montgomery had had up to a 10th grade education at Madison Park High School, and has been living at a halfway house for the past decade. Although Montgomery has had a difficult struggle with substance abuse over the years, Russell recalled that Montgomery had been suffering from Manic Depression and has been working toward better behavior.
Through a television situated to the right of the DA’s, Montgomery stood wearing a red jumpsuit in an empty room in front of rows of empty chairs made visible to the audience via webcam.
With several relapses and failures to comply in the past, Ball stated that Montgomery’s “recent good behavior should be ignored.” Questioning the DA, Ball raised the anchor, “What do we do? Keep cutting him loose so he keeps shoplifting?”
A difficult decision to be made, Ball denied the proposal without prejudice allowing the case to be brought forward again in front of the Boston Municiple Court.
