New law prioritizes public safety in setting bail, officials say
Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Division 8 Judge Lee Wilson was part of Memphis Shelby Crime Commission virtual discussion Thursday evening with Shelby County Lead Judicial Commissioner John Marshall. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
Shelby County Lead Judicial Commissioner John Marshall said a new law that makes public safety a primary factor in setting bail has a “large impact” on a judicial commissioner’s decision-making.
Previously, when making bail decisions, judicial officers weighed several factors — including the nature of an offense, the likely sentence it carries and the probability of conviction — against whether a defendant was at risk of not appearing for their court date. Now they weigh those factors against a defendant’s potential flight risk and in relation to the safety of the community.
“So we feel like that that gives us a little more teeth, if you will, in our decision making,” Marshall said.
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Shelby County Lead Judicial Commissioner John Marshall Judge Lee Wilson Bill Gibbons Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Julia Baker
A lifelong Memphian, Julia Baker graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
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