NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — “It’s creating chaos in our community, and it’s creating more innocent victims, and it’s kind of gotten out of control lately and so we have to look at the solution. What are the solutions to keep our public safe and also be reasonable about bail,” said Verna Wyatt, co-founder of Tennessee Voices for Victims.
Over the past year, Nashville has seen the arrest of more than 3,000 individuals for violent crimes. Alarmingly, data from the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) indicates that 16 percent of these individuals have been re-arrested while out on pre-trial bond.
“Shocking, and in my opinion, unnecessary in many cases. And that’s heartbreaking,” Wyatt remarked. “There are so many of these cases that it’s being called to attention and people are getting tired of it, they’re getting fed up with it.”
Police Chief John Drake emphasized the urgency of the issue during a press briefing on Monday, April 29. “We’re sounding the alarm,” he stated. “Over and over and over again, just the same people being rearrested, charged with violent crime.”
The arrest of Jamien Taylor earlier this year underscores the gravity of the situation. Charged with attempted kidnapping and assault, Taylor’s bond was set at $75,000, necessitating a source hearing before a judge prior to his potential release. His arrest on Friday, April 26 followed shortly after he was apprehended for making sexual advances towards a woman in an elevator, for which the Community Bail Fund posted his $3,000 bond on Tuesday, April 23, leading to his release.
In another disturbing case, authorities issued an alert for 19-year-old Adrian Cameron Jr., identifying him as a suspect in the shooting death of rapper Chris King. Cameron Jr. was already out on bond for the September 2021 murder of 50-year-old Josh Evans. According to investigators, Cameron Jr. allegedly shot and killed Evans and disposed of his body in the Cumberland River, where it was discovered on September 13, 2021. This criminal homicide case had been transferred from Juvenile Court to Criminal Court.
New legislation aimed at addressing these issues is set to take effect soon. Starting July 1, 2024, one of the new laws, known as ‘Jillian’s Law,’ will mandate that judges prioritize public safety over a defendant’s financial situation when setting bail.
“If you have committed a violent act, if you have a violent history, if you don’t have a job, if you don’t have good family support, then you need to be behind bars,” Wyatt asserted. “It doesn’t matter how poor you are. It doesn’t matter what color you are, and it doesn’t matter what social standing you have. Across the board, you need to be behind bars.”
Wyatt’s advocacy is deeply personal. She co-founded Tennessee Voices for Victims following a tragic incident that struck her family.
“Thirty years ago, my sister-in-law was raped and murdered by somebody who was out on bond, a low bond,” Wyatt recalled. “If he would have been in jail where he belonged, that murder would have never happened.”
In February 1991, school teacher Martha Wyatt disappeared suddenly. Three days later, law enforcement retrieved her body from the Cumberland River. Martha had been raped and murdered. This brutal crime spurred Wyatt into action, motivating her to champion victims’ rights within the justice system.
The introduction of ‘Jillian’s Law’ and other forthcoming crime laws aim to bring some relief to victims and their families by imposing stricter criteria for granting bail, thereby enhancing community safety and addressing the growing concerns surrounding repeat offenders.