Judge’s decision looms in lawsuit against the Illinois SAFE-T Act

(The Heart Sq.) – A choice from a Kankakee County choose is anticipated Wednesday night within the SAFE-T Act lawsuit, which was introduced by greater than 60 state’s attorneys from throughout Illinois.

The Security, Accountability, Equity, and Fairness At the moment, or SAFE-T Act, was authorised by the Common Meeting in January 2021.

It makes a number of modifications to the prison justice system within the state, together with eliminating money bail statewide, making Illinois the primary state to take action.

The measure was met with pushback from massive segments of the regulation enforcement group statewide, who say the act might permit dangerous to permit alleged criminals again on the road as they await trial.

In November, state Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, mentioned the passage of the SAFE-T Act was unconstitutional.

“We’re at a selected level the place this goes into impact on Jan. 1, and we received … state attorneys which can be extremely questioning this explicit piece of laws,” Niemerg informed The Heart Sq..

“Moreover, the constitutionality of the measure may be very a lot in query.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who received a second time period in November, prompt modifications to the invoice’s language to clear up any misunderstanding.

“So allow us to amend the act to make it very express,” Pritzker mentioned in October.

“These violent criminals which can be in jail awaiting trial, that Jan. 1 shouldn’t be some deadline to let individuals out,” Pritzker mentioned.

Pritzker mentioned the SAFE-T Act intends to do the other of what he mentioned Republicans declare it can do.

“One of many functions of the SAFE-T Act is to maintain our neighborhoods protected,” Pritzker mentioned.

“It’s to ensure that people who find themselves awaiting trial and are non-violent, who might have dedicated a low-level offense, don’t sit in jail as a result of they don’t have just a few hundred {dollars},” he added.

The measure went to court docket with dozens of state’s attorneys submitting separate lawsuits.

These have been later consolidated right into a single case out of Kankakee County.

After the election, state lawmakers got here again to legislative session and handed an modification to the SAFE-T Act that creates a internet of detainable offenses a person will be held pending trial, amongst different modifications. That didn’t deter the authorized problem.

Kankakee County State’s Legal professional Jim Rowe argued in opposition to the SAFE-T Act final week.

Rowe claimed the measure was unconstitutional by violating the state’s single-subject regulation, which confines laws to just one topic.

As well as, he argued that the entire measure is invalid as a result of there’s a provision associated to redistricting maps.

Darren Kinkead, who argued on behalf of the state, claimed the measure doesn’t violate any single-subject legal guidelines as a result of the redistricting must do with prisoners and can be included as part of the prison justice system.

The Kankakee County choose mentioned he would render a call within the case by Wednesday, simply days earlier than no-cash bail takes impact.