On Tuesday, Alabama voters passed a state amendment which includes several serious crimes in which a suspect can be held without bail.
A right to bail for individuals not charged with a capital offense was outlined under section 16 of the state constitution. However, Amendment 1 — called Aniah’s Law — which adds stipulations to section 16, was passed by a margin of 80 to 20 percent, according to AL.com.
The law is named after Aniah Blanchard, 19, who was reportedly kidnapped and murdered in 2019. The suspect in that case is Ibraheem Yazeed, 30, who was reportedly seen forcing Blanchard into her car at an Auburn gas station a month before her remains were found.
At the time of Blanchard’s abduction and slaying, Yazeed was out on bail on attempted murder charges. He was also granted bail despite arrests for kidnapping and robbery. In a January 2019 case, Yazeed reportedly nearly beat one of the victims to death.
In June 2020, Yazeed was charged with fatally shooting a homeless man in Montgomery in 2018.
Under Aniah’s Law, the following non-capital crimes would deem a defendant ineligible for bail: murder, kidnapping in the first degree, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, sexual torture, domestic violence in the first degree, human trafficking in the first degree, burglary in the first degree, arson in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, terrorism, and aggravated abuse of a child under age 6.
AL.com reported that legislators have passed other laws addressing how Aniah’s Law would be implemented in court.
Yazeed has not yet stood trial for the capital murder and kidnapping charges he is facing for Blanchard’s death. Prosecutors are reportedly seeking the death penalty.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Featured image: Aniah Blanchard/Facebook]
