private static Date parseDateWithLeniency(
365            final String str, final Locale locale, final String[] parsePatterns, final boolean lenient) throws ParseException {
366        if (str == null || parsePatterns == null) {
367            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Date and Patterns must not be null");
368        }
369
370        final TimeZone tz = TimeZone.getDefault();
371        final Locale lcl = locale==null ?Locale.getDefault() : locale;
372        final ParsePosition pos = new ParsePosition(0);
373        final Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance(tz, lcl);
374        calendar.setLenient(lenient);
375
376        for (final String parsePattern : parsePatterns) {
377            final FastDateParser fdp = new FastDateParser(parsePattern, tz, lcl);
378            calendar.clear();
379            try {
380                if (fdp.parse(str, pos, calendar) && pos.getIndex()==str.length()) {
381                    return calendar.getTime();
382                }
383            } catch(final IllegalArgumentException ignore) {
384                // leniency is preventing calendar from being set
385            }
386            pos.setIndex(0);
387        }
388        throw new ParseException("Unable to parse the date: " + str, -1);
389    }