|
One
of the most controversial laws in the criminal justice package
is the Pretrial Fairness Act that ends cash bail, making
Illinois the first state to do so.
The Illinois Supreme Court Implementation Task Force was created
in 2020 to prioritize and implement the recommendations of the
Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices final report and
help prepare the justice system for the changes coming once the
PFA takes effect.
Task force member Alison Shames, director for the Center for
Effective Public Policy, said the SAFE-T Act is complicated and
has some advice for all those involved in the judicial system.
“It is critically important that you actually read the statute,
because this is a very complex law, it is confusing,” Shames
said.
Several district attorneys around the state have filed lawsuits
looking to have the measure thrown out, with the latest being
Vermillion County District Attorney Jacqueline Lacy. She said
the proposals “pose a serious threat to public safety,
specifically to victims of and witnesses of violent crimes in
our community.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who signed the SAFE-T Act into law and has
defended the cashless bail provision, recently admitted the
legislation could undergo some changes.
The law has been highly criticized by law enforcement and
Republican lawmakers, and now there are some Democrats who admit
there need to be changes. State Sen. Scott Bennett, D-Champaign,
has introduced a measure he said will clarify language and
improve how officials can enforce the law.
State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, leader of the House Public Safety
Working Group, said the SAFE-T Act, although signed into law, is
still a work in progress.
“The Public Safety Working Group is meeting regularly, both
internally and with state’s attorneys, law enforcement,
survivors, advocates and others to discuss further refinements
and improvements,” she said in a statement.
The task force is scheduled to meet again in October to address
the detention process.
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.
|
|
