Flanked by lawmakers and supporters, Gov. JB Pritzker picks up the nearly 800-page criminal justice reform bill after signing it into law during a ceremony at Chicago State University on the South Side on Feb. 22, 2021.
Ashlee Rezin / Sun-Times
Bail reform: the latest on eliminating cash bail in Illinois
A look at the bail reform debate in Illinois, the SAFE-T Act’s passing, and the future of cash bail in the state.
Illinois passed a law that eliminated the use of cash bail that goes into effect next week as part of the SAFE-T Act. Under the law judges could no longer require people to pay money in order to leave jail while they await trial.
Check out our past coverage below and follow along as the state navigates the elimination of cash bail.
“Everyone has to be focused on day one, recommending decisions to the judge and making sure that the law is implemented as intended,” said Amanda Pyron, leader of a coalition of victim advocacy groups.
Importantly, the majority opined that cash bail “was all but unknown” when the state’s original constitution was first approved in 1818, and the same basic language from that document remains in force today.
On the other side, Senate Republican Leader John Curran said the ruling warrants a special session to address key concerns before cash bail is eliminated in September.
Kankakee County Chief Judge Thomas Cunnington sided with opponents just days before a bail reform provision was to take effect, ruling in favor of a group of state’s attorneys and sheriffs.
They contend the controversial law, which would eliminate cash bail in Illinois, is unconditional and improperly ties judge’s hands when deciding the conditions of release for people accused of crimes.
The brief is the attorney general’s office opening argument as it seeks to overturn a judge’s ruling that found parts of the controversial SAFE-T Act unconstitutional.
