Question arises: How is bail set in cases involving capital crimes?
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

The question of how bail in Ventura County is determined arose after it was reported that bail was set at $1.5 million for Calvin Leonard Sharp, 27, who was arrested on suspicion of one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Witnesses to the brutal murder say 6yearold Sev'n Molina unsuccessfully tried to get away from a man with a meat cleaver who was shouting, "Die, die, die." This happened on the evening of Aug. 12 in the 1800 block of W. Hillcrest Drive in Newbury Park.

"I cannot speak on any particular charge. I will speak to you about the rules for bail in general," senior deputy district attorney John West said.

At www.ventura.courts.ca.gov is a list of presumptive bail amounts posted next to a variety of offenses.

It's complicated and can be confusing.

Some bails are doubled if, for instance, the crime was committed while the suspect was out on bail. Others are doubled if the crime was preceded by a similar offense or as a part of a previous domestic violence situation.

A $20,000 offense could be a crime such as bribing an executive officer, threatening the life of a judge, perjury, pimping or selling false citizen documents.

Child abuse or threatening a witness could lead to a $50,000 bail. Train robbery is also at $50,000. Hostage taking is $100,000. Advocating the injury or killing of a police officer that results in harm or death could be $250,000.

Presumptive bail for murder is $500,000. If there are special circumstances where the death penalty could be an option, there is no bail.

Special circumstances could include robbery, financial gain, poison, lying in wait, gang membership, bomb use, multiple victims or prior convictions, West said.

For most crimes, the bail figure is predetermined, he said.

Sharp isn't charged with any special circumstances at this time, saikd Deputy District Attorney Maeve Fox.

He was charged with one count of murder with a deadly weapon and two separate counts of attempted murder with a deadly weapon that inflicted great bodily harm on the boy's mother, Sandra Ruiz, and 53-year-old Diane Cox, a neighbor at the scene who attempted to stop the attack.

Fox said she thought the $500,000 murder bail was doubled because of the deadly weapon and $250,000 was added for each attempted murder charge.