Emergency appeals have been filed in Shelby County, challenging the decision of General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson, who released two men charged with attempted murder on their own recognizance, a move that has brought significant controversy. According to Action News 5, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. has approved a DA’s request for new bail hearings.
Tyreese Earnest, a FedEx employee, and an unnamed military veteran involved in a standoff with Memphis police are the subjects under scrutiny. The suspects' release has been contested by both the District Attorney's office and State Senator Brent Taylor, who expressed their concern over public safety due to the nature of the allegations. Taylor, as reported by WREG, has previously referred Judge Anderson for judicial review.
In defense of his ROR decisions, Judge Anderson said, "Every single day that I sit on that bench, I try my best to follow the law as it’s written. Period. I am a strict constructionist when it comes to the law," in an interview obtained by Action News 5. The controversy stems from Anderson's perspective on bail laws, which he believes need to be re-evaluated, particularly with statutes that have been largely unaltered since 1978.
The urgency of these cases is denoted by the swift legal action pursued by the District Attorney's office. One of the suspects, Earnest, is implicated in a shooting that occurred in the FedEx Hub parking lot, and he initially had his bond reduced from $200,000 to being released without bail. "We’re glad the court granted the writ and acknowledged the legal error in the General Sessions court decision. This is a useful clarification which we hope will impact future bail decisions. While we were hoping for a hearing date sooner than December 13, we’re ready to move forward to further public safety in these cases," stated Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, in a news release found on Local Memphis.
