FL,
In this media age where everyone gets to tell their story to the press (WHILE NOT UNDER OATH I MIGHT ADD) the perp walk (pictures of the alledged criminal being brought in in handcuffs) have become something of a tradition that the prosecution uses to counter the inevitable press release of the perp being more holy than mother terresa. Do I like it? Nope...
There is a fair amount of spin that goes on before a trial in high profile cases. I don't know how much it actually effects the outcome, but you should read a very good book by Thomas Wolf called "Bonfire of the Vanities" It was made into an okay moving strarring Tom Hanks and Melanie griffiths that was outright suppressed by the liberal media because it painted Al Sharpton for the lieing thug that he is... Its fiction, but consider it historical fiction and will give you a good idea of what drives some prosecutions.
Also, while I am not comfortable with the steep bail here, the charges apparently are quite severe in this state. However, often they get overturned later because when a state makes an anti aviation law they are often over stepping their authority and taking actions that are reserved for the federal government. The problem is you first have to convict someone of this before you can declare it unconstitutional (usually).
Oh and one other thing that we do differently. A cornerstone of American justice and the chief protection from the government is PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE COURTS. That's why David Dinkin's plan to move the courts out to Rikers Island (a prison Island in NY harbor where most NY criminals are held) in order to save the 100s of millions of dollars they spend a year transporting criminals from Rikers to Manhattan criminal courts was such a dangerous plan. There would have been no public access, then you are like a banana republic, Strait from your show trial to your punishment without ever seeing the light of day...
But that public access to the courts may make things seam a little more open than they do in the crown courts... So more makes it into the news.
Cheers
Wino