Naturally, with the biggest and worst crimes (the ones that capture media attention across the United States), bail is set very high. We decided to round up some of the United States’ most high-profile bail bond court cases. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s likely you remember at least hearing these people’s name in the media.
- O.J. Simpson, known for his legal troubles instead of his status as a former NFL player, was arrested for robbing a hotel casino at gunpoint. His bail was set at $125,000 and he was also ordered to not contact his co-conspirators. He violated that order and bail was raised to $250,000.
- George Zimmerman’s bail was set at $150,000 for killing 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. When the court found out that Zimmerman and his wife raised over $130,000 online, the bail amount was raised to $1 million. Apparently Zimmerman and his wife lied about their financial security.
- Bernie Madoff, known for the largest financial fraud in US history ($65 billion!), had his bail set to $10 million. He also needed to have 4 people co-sign bail, which he failed to do so. After re-evaluating his bail conditions, the court basically freed Madoff on house arrest with curfew and travel restrictions. The people of the United States were not happy about this. However, he is now in jail.