gee, so bail is punitive?
the judge decides the amount of bail based on a decision how much to punish the defendant and how to seize his assets
the defendant- who is presumed to be an innocent person (until proven guilty)
I always thought bail was set to ensure the public was protected from dangerous people being out on the streets (ie repeat or heinous offenders endangering the public) and to ensure a defendant would show up for trial
thanks for enlightening us
Hold that thought .. and re-think it ... slowly.
An accused "x" has been arrested and charged - whether he is a rapist, murderer, drunk driver, child molester, ... whatever" has yet to face trial. They are all "presumed innocent", each and every one. They are also, in a great many cases, considered not to be an immediate threat to society, nor a flight risk - thus they may all (upon the Judge's discretion) be considered for Bail.
Bail is then set at a level such that there is a strong financial incentive to return to face charges. Where a $50,000 bail for you and I may be incentive to return to face charges; this is a laughable security for a multi-millionaire. Thus, Bail is money held as a "security deposit" to return and stand trial at a later date. It is returned to the accused when they present themselves to stand trial - so it's not "punitive".
Zimmerman was granted bail, but made the conscious decision to deceive the courts about the financial assets he had access to. This is why his bail was revoked. The same thing would happen to you or I, should we face a Bail situation. When accessing bail, the court has need to know your net assets, such that the bail set reflects a sum large enough to serve as a "security" that you will return to face charges.
You are welcome - enlightening people is my purpose in life.