Just City v. Bonner, et al.

Case Summary:

On July 31, 2024, Just City filed a federal lawsuit challenging Shelby County’s implementation of a new Tennessee law, which prohibits judges from considering a defendant's ability to pay when setting bail. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, argues that the law violates the U.S. Constitution and results in widespread wealth-based detention. 

The lawsuit specifically challenges TN House Bill 1719, which became law on May 1, 2024, and was sponsored by two Shelby County lawmakers, Rep. John Gillespie and Sen. Brent Taylor.

Wealth-based detention is not allowed under the Constitution, and so Tennessee state law has long required consideration of several factors, including financial condition, to ensure that unaffordable bail is set only as a last resort when someone is facing criminal charges. The 2024 law sought to prohibit judges from following that long settled principle.