You have to take into account that bail money tied up is still money lost. You could be making a lot of money off of that $400K.
Many people take out home equity loans and just keep the line of credit for emergencies. Those loans typically cost about 7%. That's a big monthly payment on top of a first mortgage.
True enough but loss of earnings on that $400,000 and getting all $400,000 back still beats the hell out of paying $40,000 to a bail bondsman and getting nothing back.
I think the bail is unjustly high. These guys are going to make their court dates even if bail were set at zero. I think at this point, given all the publicity, they could be released on their own recognizance.