Illinois State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) issued a statement following today’s decision by the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness portion of the SAFE-T Act.
“Not unexpectedly, the Illinois Supreme Court today upheld the constitutionality of the SAFE-T Act that includes the no cash bail provision. This bill was passed in the final moments of a lame duck session by the bare minimum of 60 votes. Many of the harshest critics of this law agree that reforming the criminal justice system is needed. The no cash bail provision has been criticized in other cities that have tried it because of the negative impact it has had on the safety and security of their citizens. This decision is very discouraging and the net effects of the law will be setting more violent criminals free. This ruling will further demoralize members of law enforcement agencies and ultimately makes Illinois less safe. We must push back against the efforts of Governor Pritzker and the Democrats who prioritize social engineering of the criminal justice system that favors criminals over victims.”