The Price of a Debt in the Walla Walla County Jail
A legal dispute over who actually owns the cash bond money complicates the sentencing of Fagan Scott, who has opted to serve 141 days in jail rather than pay a hefty court fine.
Fagan Scott, convicted of assault with a deadly weapon upon George Ortell, has begun serving a 141-day sentence in jail to satisfy a court-imposed fine and costs totaling $451.40. A legal battle is brewing over the $500 cash bond Scott posted for his trial, which was furnished by relatives and friends. The prosecutor is attempting to garnish these funds to pay the fine, while the donors are expected to sue to recover their money, arguing the funds were not Scott's to forfeit.
“The question of the ownership of the $500 cash bond which Scott put up to insure his appearance at the trial promises to be the point at issue.”
This case highlights the enduring, complex friction between the criminal justice system's reliance on cash bail and the economic realities of the families who provide those funds. The debate over whether such money belongs to the defendant—and can be seized—remains a subject of modern legal scrutiny.
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