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 Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the fourth trailer-bill to the SAFE-T Act into law
Dec. 6, clarifying the language on pretrial release, felonies for denying bail
and creating a new grant program for public defenders.
House Bill 1095 approved by the General Assembly will make five significant
changes to the SAFE-T Act set to take effect Jan. 1. The trailer amendment:
Expands the scope of forcible felonies for which a judge can deny pretrial
release if detainees are proven to pose a “real and present threat” to
communities
Empowers judges to deny pretrial release for detainees based on flight risk or
intent evade prosecution
Allows persons in custody come Jan. 1. to petition for a reversal of their
pretrial terms starting with the least violent detainees
Creates an unfunded grant program to train and support public defenders with
appropriations set by the General Assembly
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Pritzker said the 308-page amendment “addresses misinformation” and makes
clarifications “that uphold the principle we fought to protect: to bring an end
to a system where wealthy violent offenders can buy their way out of jail, while
less fortunate nonviolent offenders wait in jail for trial.”
The SAFE-T Act will eliminate cash bail in Illinois starting Jan. 1 and mandate
police officers wear body cameras by 2025, among other police and correctional
reforms. The only other state to come close to eliminating cash bail statewide
was New Jersey.
While lawmakers disagree on how much more clarification is needed, experts
predict the new revisions are unlikely to resolve a lawsuit filed by 62 state’s
attorneys challenging the constitutionality of the criminal justice reforms.
Oral arguments for the challenge are set for Dec. 20 in Kankakee County.
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