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The criminal justice package has been criticized by both sides
of the aisle, especially the dozens of state's attorneys around
Illinois who have filed a lawsuit to have the legislation
scrapped.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked Wednesday now that the pressure of
the election is over, does he expect Democratic lawmakers to
change anything about the SAFE-T Act next week.
“I will be watching carefully,” Pritzker said. “I’ve made my
thoughts clear and we’ll see if we can get something done during
the veto session to address the changes that we ought to be
making.”
A proponent of the legislation, the People’s Lobby, said
election results prove Illinoisans are in favor of ending cash
bail, the most controversial provision in the law.
“Republicans know the facts and data about pretrial
incarceration are on our side, so they tried to win people over
by stoking fear and outrage,” state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray,
D-Naperville, said. “What they don’t understand is that Trumpian
tactics don’t work in the suburbs.”
Illinois will become the first state in the country to abolish
cash bail Jan. 1. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western
Springs, a former prosecutor, said there are other stipulations
in the act that also should raise a red flag.
“There’s another provision in here which says there is a 90-day
trial requirement for anybody who is detained, otherwise they
will be released from custody and that includes people who are
charged with perhaps a detainable offense like armed robbery up
to someone who has been charged with multiple murders. It's
outrageous,” Durkin said.
The consolidated lawsuits against the SAFE-T Act are expected to
be heard in Kankakee County court in early December.
Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said the case may go
to the state’s highest court.
“If the law is declared unconstitutional, then obviously there
is no law,” Weis said. “However, an appeal will then go directly
to the Illinois Supreme Court.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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