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Tennessee House approves constitutional amendment to let judges deny bail for certain violent crimes
Summary
The Tennessee House voted to concur with Senate Joint Resolution 25, sending a proposed amendment to Article I, Section 15 of the state constitution to the November 2026 ballot. Supporters said the change would give judges discretion to deny bail for specified violent offenses; critics raised due‑process and equity concerns.
NASHVILLE — The Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday voted to concur in Senate Joint Resolution 25, a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand judges’ discretion to deny bail for a list of serious violent offenses and send the question to voters in the November 2026 general election.
Sponsor and House floor leader Speaker Sexton said the measure is “a bipartisan effort” backed by district attorneys, sheriffs and police chiefs across the state and framed the change as a tool to keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets while cases move toward adjudication.
The amendment would revise Article I, Section 15 of the Tennessee Constitution to allow judges to deny bail in defined circumstances, including when the presumption of dangerousness is great for specified crimes. The resolution lists offenses such as capital offenses, acts of terrorism, second‑degree murder, aggravated sexual offenses against a child, serious drug trafficking with prior convictions and a…
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