Lobel urged the court to begin examining defendants' finances before imposing bail.
"If we know the person can never pay the forfeited amount of bail, that person should never be permitted to [post] bail in the first place," she said.
Frank, the private bail executive, testified that the Philadelphia bail system needed "comprehensive reform."
"The evidence demonstrates - and Philadelphia's experience confirms - that 10 percent deposit bail is neither effective nor efficient," he said.
Nicholas J. Wachinski, a lawyer from Media who has represented bail companies, testified that private bail firms outperformed government-run bail systems. He cited several studies, including a 2007 federal analysis that found private bail to have a markedly better record in getting defendants into court.
"Defendants are only going to appear for court if the money bail we levy against them is truly the number that we set," he said. "If they feel there is no threat - that we won't seek justice - they're not going to come to court."
