MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal judge handed down a new ruling in the battle over bail reform in Memphis, denying a motion for a federal injunction to stop a new state law.

It means for now, local courts will not have to consider a suspect’s ability to pay while setting bond.

That rule is tied to a new state law sponsored by Memphis lawmakers Brent Taylor and John Gillespie.

A Memphis non-profit called Just City sued to stop it from going into effect, and while the judge is allowing their case to move forward, he denied their request for a preliminary injunction.

Bail reform organizations support local courts considering a defendant’s ability to pay when they set bond amounts. But Taylor and Gillespie contend that judges setting low or no bond allows defendants to get back out on the street sooner, potentially committing more crimes and endangering the community.

Sen. Taylor says he’s confident the court will clarify that the general assembly makes the law, and then judges and groups like Just City are required to follow it.