Pretrial Fairness Act
QUINCY — Most people involved in local law enforcement had their doubts about the need for and effectiveness of the SAFE-T Act before it became law on Sept. 18, 2023. The act recently celebrated its first anniversary, and while those same local law enforcement officials aren’t singing its praises, they say some — not all…
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SPRINGFIELD – One year after Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of cash bail, the impact on the state’s criminal justice system appears to have been far less dramatic than people on either side of the debate had predicted. That, at least, is the early indication from an analysis…
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QUINCY — Bills of indictment were filed Thursday against two men lodged in the Adams County Jail, but the debate continues over how the Pretrial Fairness Act, also known as the Safe-T Act, is being interpreted in Adams County. The arraignments of Kareun Brewer, 21, of Springfield and Latwaon McCray, 42, of Quincy were delayed…
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QUINCY — The arraignments of a Springfield man and a Quincy man have been delayed because an Adams County public defender is questioning how the Pretrial Fairness Act, also known as the Safe-T Act, is being interpreted in Adams County. Kareun Brewer, 21, and Latwaon McCray, 42, appeared in Adams County Circuit Court on Tuesday…
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Local governments in Illinois should brace for the unknown with some expecting conflicts between the SAFE-T Act and a looming constitutional amendment enshrining collective bargaining rights. Illinois state lawmakers are back in Springfield Tuesday for the final three days of session before the SAFE-T Act’s no-cash bail law takes effect Jan. 1. When lawmakers were…
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SPRINGFIELD – Changes may yet come to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform before its Jan. 1 effective date, but some of its major proponents in the General Assembly said the results of the Nov. 8 general election have signified that the ship has sailed for drastic amendments to it. “I will say, when it…
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Researchers at Loyola University of Chicago add data to public safety conversation SPRINGFIELD – While a new law overhauling Illinois’ system of pretrial detention continues to face scrutiny ahead of its Jan. 1 implementation date, new research suggests that the old cash-based system “results in much less pretrial detention than is generally assumed.” That’s according…
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SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, cash bail will be abolished in Illinois. The measure that will eliminate it has been on the books since early 2021, giving the justice system two years to plan for the major overhaul of the state’s pretrial detention system. It’s also given time for the measure to become politicized…
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In less than 4 months, the “Pretrial Fairness Act” will become effective and abolish Illinois’s cash bail system. Those who support the new law say the current system imposes a different justice system on defendants who can afford their bond, compared to those who cannot. While we agree a person’s freedom should not depend on…
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