By MADDISON BOOTH, Alabama Daily News
Mayors from Alabama’s largest cities are advocating for a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot that would give judges more opportunity to deny bail to people with violent records.
Aniah’s Law was passed unanimously by the state Legislature in 2021,putting it on the fall ballot. It would clarify the violent crimes in which judges are allowed to deny bail.
“(The unanimous passage) to me says that members of both parties realize that we have a serious and dangerous situation currently in Alabama, and it has to be dealt with,” said bill sponsor Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollinger’s Island.
The law is named after Aniah Blanchard, 19, a student at Southern Union State Community College who was abducted in Auburn, Alabama in October 2019 and later killed.
The man accused of her murder was out on bail awaiting his trial for a previous kidnapping case.
Aniah’s Law would make it clear to judges when they are allowed to deny bail, specifically listing the crimes of murder, assault in the first degree, kidnapping, rape, sexual torture, domestic violence, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, arson, terrorism, and aggravated child abuse as instances where they are able to do so.
Recently, mayors from the 10 biggest Alabama cities joined together in an op-ed in which they advocated for the passage of the constitutional amendment.
“… Elected officials and law enforcement officers across the state have worked diligently to get us this far, and now the next step toward keeping violent criminals off our streets falls to you,” they said.
Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson also spoke to Alabama Public Television’s Capitol Journal earlier recently about Aniah’s Law.
“There are so many people that a judge knows will recommit a crime or commit another crime but they can’t hold them,” Stimpson said on the show. If the amendment is passed in November, he said “judges will have another tool to keep the bad guys locked up.”
Other leaders on the op-ed were Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Madison Mayor Paul Finley, Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, and Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
“I know that this will save lives,” Brown told Alabama Daily News. “It will keep dangerous predators off the street, and it will protect Alabamians.”