> For one, when someone should not be remanded on bail because they are a danger to society, judges will often set the bail at eleventy zillion dollars, knowing that they won't be able to post bail

Why can't they just deny bail in such cases? Is it local laws that forbid them from doing so? In which case, it seems that the ability to set a ridiculously high bail is a net benefit to society.

Yeah, a lot of places required a bail amount of something. The joke is on the judge, though. When I checked in 2022 in Cook County there were 92 homicide cases out on bail, each having paid an average of around $150K cash.

There were also hundreds of minor shoplifting and other petty cases with bail set at $250 or less who had been locked in the jail for months since they could not afford to bond out.