Blade Runner Granted Bail

Oscar Pistorius' hands trembled, according to CBS News, when he said good morning to the magistrate. Two members of the family of Reeva Steenkamp sat behind him, and reporters and photographers surrounded him in the Pretoria courtroom. He started crying at one point. But freedom was close at hand, at least for the moment, because the judge would soon set bail at 1 million rand, about $113,000.

The defense had argued that his prostheses and fame would prevent him from successfully fleeing before the trial. The prosecution feared Pistorius would pull a Julian Assange and seek the shelter of an embassy.

Before his decision, Magistrate Desmond Nair said of the prosecution, "I feel like they could have done more," and then detailed how the prosecution "blundered" certain evidence and questions, like the alleged testosterone needle and Pistorius' potential offshore accounts. This follows a day when it came to light that the investigating detective had seven attempted murder charges against him.

Nair's opinion was, in short: The defense could not show an exceptional circumstance that Pistorius deserves bail (a requirement for the charge). The prosecution also, Nair said, couldn't show a strong enough case to inspire Pistorius to flee.

And so in the end, Nair said, "I cannot find that it has been established that the accused is a flight risk." And he was unconvinced that Pistorius was dangerous to anyone, including witnesses.

"Yes!" exclaimed some members of the crowd, after the magistrate made his ruling.

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