Congressman Mike Bost | Courtesy photo
Congressman Mike Bost | Courtesy photo
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) is decrying the reinstatement of the SAFE-T Act’s cashless bail provision known as the Pretrial Fairness Act.
On Tuesday, July 18, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the provision in the SAFE-T Act which ends cash bail, as constitutional, making Illinois the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail.
“The Illinois Supreme Court today upheld JB Pritzker’s elimination of cash bail in the state,” Bost said on Facebook. “The SAFE-T Act is yet another example of radical leftists sacrificing public safety and the interests of law enforcement to score points with their political base. Cash bail exists for a reason: to protect victims and keep dangerous criminals off the street. Is there any wonder why 100 of 102 Illinois state’s attorneys opposed this disaster of a law?”
Across Illinois, 64 state’s attorneys signed on to litigation to stop the law.
The court's 5-to-2 vote came after a six-month delay caused by legal challenges against the provision. Critics argued that the law restricts judges' discretion in detaining individuals. Courts across the state will have a two-month preparation period before the new bail rules take effect on Sept. 18.
According to The Heartlander, Gov. J.B. Pritzker donated $2 million to two Illinois Supreme Court justices' campaigns, Mary O'Brien and Elizabeth Rochford, despite a law capping campaign contribution limits at $500,000. Both justices voted in favor of reinstating cashless bail. Critics have expressed concerns about potential conflicts of interest and call for oversight and recusal to maintain public trust in the judicial system.
“If we don’t have confidence in the opinions the judicial branch issues then our judicial branch is failing,” Chris Forsyth of the Judicial Integrity Project told The Center Square. “Political donations can lead to issues of judicial integrity and the United States Supreme Court has said so. In some cases, they have found political donations to be so grave that there is a conflict of interest that is impermissible.”
On the heels of the Illinois Supreme Court's ruling, Republicans are voicing opposition and calling for a special legislative session to amend the SAFE-T Act, KHQA reported. They express concerns that the public could be endangered after the sunset of cash bail. The GOP claims that without cash bail, it would narrow the range of crimes for which judges can detain individuals, and impact funding for police departments. Democratic lawmakers support the court's decision. Republican leadership in the General Assembly hopes to address these concerns and make amendments before cash bail ends.
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