Biography
Jessica Chodor volunteers with Vecindarios901, a Memphis network supporting immigrants and documenting law enforcement activity. Tennessee Highway Patrol officers arrested her on October 28, 2025, while she attempted to record a traffic stop. She spent approximately 27 hours in Shelby County Jail East and was released without paying bail. The resisting official detention charge was dismissed on December 5, 2025. She later joined an ACLU lawsuit alleging retaliation against people observing the Memphis Safe Task Force.
In the complaint filed May 13, 2026, Chodor alleged that her 27-hour detention at Shelby County Jail East involved overcrowding, harsh lights, severe cold, and no bed or bedding. She alleged that she received no water for eight hours or food for nine hours and was denied prescribed medication and painkillers. These are allegations in her civil complaint, not findings by the court. Source: https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/05/1.pdf (PDF page 35, paragraphs 116–118).
