Meet Bill Penn (a composite of several clients). He is 30 years old, a lifelong resident of Norristown raising two children with his live-in girlfriend. He works 40 hours a week at Acme, earns $9 per hour, and struggles to make ends meet. After getting into a fight with another patron at a bar, Penn was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

After several hours in holding, the police brought him in front of a TV screen for a preliminary arraignment. He appeared without a lawyer and did not fully understand the proceedings. Immediately after reading the charges, the magisterial district judge (MDJ) informed Penn: “Your bail is set at $10,000. You’ll need to post 10%, $1,000, to be released.”