Life

Strangers Help Oklahoma Mother Sentenced to Prison Over $30 of Weed Pay Legal Fees

Seven strangers paid Spottedcrow’s outstanding balance allowing her to be freed from jail.

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Strangers have come to the aid of Oklahoma mother Patricia Spottedcrow and helped her pay off the legal fees she's been battling for close to half a decade.

In 2011, Spottedcrow was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in jail over $31 worth of weed. Her case sparked national outrage and in 2012, Governor Mary Fallin signed off on her early release. Although she was a free woman, Spottedcrow was still responsible for the thousands of dollars she accumulated in court fees. Over the years, this amount has grown to $3,569.76. The mother of six has recently lost her husband leading her to fall behind on payments. As a result, Spottedcrow was thrown in jail over the weekend for a bench warrant regarding the money that was still owed.

"Just this whole ordeal and process is exhausting," Spottedcrow told the local NBC-affiliate.

Like her initial incarceration, this arrest gained attention thanks to local reporter, Ali Meyer, tracking Spottedcrow's situation on Twitter. According to Meyer, seven strangers paid Spottedcrow’s outstanding balance allowing her to be freed from jail.

"Thank you," Spottedcrow said following her release. "Thank you to everyone. I don’t know how I was going to do it."

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