LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Days after he was charged with attempted murder, accused of shooting at Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg, activist Quintez Brown walked out of jail Wednesday. 


What You Need To Know

  • House Bill 313 would ban charitable bail organizations 

  • The legislation was filed earlier this year 

  • Lawmakers discussed concerns about bail groups in November 

  • The Bail Project Louisville says it would hurt Kentuckians 

 

The Louisville Community Bail Fund paid Brown's $100,000 bond and he was ordered to home incarceration. 

Some, including Sen. Mitch McConnell (R, Kentucky), have criticized the move. 

“Less than 48 hours after this activist tried to literally murder a politician, the radical left bailed their comrade out of jail,” McConnell said from the floor of the U.S. Senate last week. 

Rep. Jason Nemes (R, Louisville), who called it "the last straw" in a post on Facebook, is pushing for passage of House Bill 313

Filed earlier this year, the legislation would outlaw charitable bail organizations. 

Nemes and other lawmakers discussed the issue back in November. 

"If I have a family member or acquaintance get arrested, and they call me and they say, ‘Hey Jason, can you bail me out?,’ I know that person,” said Nemes.  

Chanelle Helm with Black Lives Matter Louisville, which organizes the fund that paid Brown’s bond, said she believes the bill would not apply to the fund because it is a community bail fund and not a for-profit bondsman or charitable organization.

But Shameka Parrish-Wright, with The Bail Project Louisville, said the legislation would stop her organization, without dealing with the root causes of crime. 

“This bill does not take away the ability for someone who’s charged with something that we don’t agree with being able to get out if they have enough money," she said. "This bill hurts poor people and we want to close our doors, but we want to work together with our community partnerships to do that." 

Brown’s attorney said last week that his client has "serious mental issues."

The Louisville Community Bail Fund says it provides post-release support, including food, job placement and mental health resources.