I have a totally different take on this.
If he was trying to compel a plea deal he would have refused bail. The bail set, will take a big chunk out of the defense fund, but will not deplete it entirely.
Between what George has left and future contributions to the defense fund, he has enough to live in hiding until the trial. The condition that he stay in the county unless he petitions the court sounds tough, but all it really means is that he needs to petition the court. His attorney can probably do this in secret, and there is a good chance the Judge will grant it, just to keep him safe.
Sure, the extra bail cost seems punitive, and it is supposed to be. George lied to the court in the first bond heading and this is the punishment.
Don't forget, his lawyer has said he is taking the case pro bono. There will be no legal fees. There may be legal costs, but not fees. I expect the lawyer is rolling the dice a bit. If he is acquitted, there are civil suits galore with huge payoffs coming his way.
That has all changed. MoM said so. He will now be paid out of donations. And Lesster just took half of those donations and gave it to the bailbondsman instead of MoM being paid.
Let's understand Lester's reasoning. He said in his order that since the bail is being paid with OPMs, there is no incentive for GZ not to run. It's not his hard earned money. So then explain why $100,000 of OPMs will be any more effective than $15,000 of OPMs in that regard.
The judge's reasoning for higher bond fails. The state is going to have to pick up much more of GZ's legal defense than it otherwise would have, thanks to Lester. A total of $1,000,000 is not out of the question.