TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Dec 9, 2024

A federal judge has denied a request from criminal justice reform groups to block a law that requires public safety to be the primary consideration when setting bail, Action News 5 reports. Just City Memphis, the ACLU and other legal advocates filed a lawsuit in July challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s new bail law, sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis. The law, which took effect in May, prohibits judges or judicial commissioners from considering a suspect’s "ability to pay" when setting bail. Just City argues the law violates the Constitution and a local agreement the group reached with Shelby County to reform the bail system. In November, a federal judge denied Just City’s request for a preliminary injunction.