The mayors of Alabama’s 10 biggest cities are encouraging voters to back expansions to Aniah’s Law.
The law is named after Aniah Blanchard, an Auburn University student kidnapped and murdered in 2019 by a man out on bond on charges of another violent crime.
Alabama voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2022 dubbed “Aniah’s Law,” allowing judges to deny bond to defendants charged with serious violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, rape and first-degree robbery.
The mayors Wednesday were encouraging voters to approve a new constitutional amendment ratified by state lawmakers that would expand the law so judges can deny bond in other cases, including shooting into an occupied vehicle or dwelling.
“It brings in attempted murder and discharging a firearm into occupied dwellings or other units like vehicles, and I’ve seen the tragedies that occur from that crime in particular,” said Spiro Cheriogotis, newly elected mayor of Mobile. “Some of the most dangerous things that happen in our communities relate directly to discharging firearms wantonly into buildings. In Mobile, we had a rash of situations where young people were killed lying on their couch, sitting in the backseat of their parents’ car, eating a snack after school—and it was from people discharging their firearms into their home or into the vehicle, really, without that individual being their intended target.”
Before being elected mayor, Cheriogotis was the first judge in the state to deny bail to a defendant under Aniah’s law.
Auburn Mayor Ron Anders spearheaded the initial law and told the press Wednesday that it has proved a success and that the expansion will help further protect citizens from a situation like Blanchard’s.
“We believe this is the next step to keeping Alabama as safe as possible,” Anders said.
The mayors that make up Alabama’s Big 10 are Randall Woodfin of Birmingham, Tommy Battle of Huntsville, Ron Anders of Auburn, Mark Saliba of Dothan, Spiro Cheriogotis of Mobile, Steven Reed of Montgomery, Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa, Nick Derzis of Hoover, Ranae Bartlett of Madison, and Kent Lawrence of Decatur.
The amendment will be on the May 19, 2026, primary ballot as Amendment One.
