(NASHVILLE) – State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) has filed two bills to keep Shelby County’s new Bail Hearing Room from jeopardizing public safety by recklessly releasing criminals with no bond. The new Bail Hearing Room uses an “Ability to Pay Calculator” to set bail. Since being implemented in February 2023, the Bail Hearing Room has led to a more than 10 percent increase in the number of criminal defendants released without bond.

One of Taylor’s new bills seeks to prohibit using a criminal defendant’s ability to pay as a factor in setting bail. The other would require the safety of the community to be prioritized as the most important factor in setting bail.

“We are tired of routine criminals being released with little-to-no bond, and the Bail Hearing Room is contributing to more criminals out on our streets,” said Taylor. “The law-abiding citizens of Shelby County are demanding greater safety in the community, which should be prioritized over a defendant’s financial status when setting bail. By using this so-called ‘Ability-to-pay Calculator’, Shelby County’s criminal justice system is promoting policy at conflict with policy set by the state legislature and law-abiding citizens’ wishes. Enough is enough! If the Bail Hearing Room is contributing to lower or no bonds for defendants who are a threat to the community, then it is a failed experiment.”

The “Ability to Pay Calculator” used in the Bail Hearing Room is from the Vera Institute, which explicitly aims to end money bail, according to its website.

During a Shelby County Commission Law Enforcement Corrections and Courts Committee hearing on Tuesday, March 5, John Marshall and Judge Bill Anderson testified that in 2022 and 2023 – prior to the Bail Hearing Room – 26 percent of defendants were released on their own recognizance without bail. Notably, after being pressed by Commissioner Amber Mills, the officials admitted the percentage of defendants released without bail jumped to 36 percent since defendants started appearing in the Bail Hearing Room – a 10 percent increase.

Brent Taylor represents Senate District 31 which includes Eads, East Memphis, Germantown, Lakeland, and parts of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, and Cordova. Visit BrentTaylorForSenate.com for more information.

###