Illinois lawmakers just may make their goal of clarifying the Safe-T Act and ending cash bail in the state Jan. 1 after all.
State Sen. Robert Peters (pictured) (D-Chicago) says the amendment to the package’s Pretrial Fairness Act, which he introduced late Tuesday and is expected to get votes in both chambers Thursday, comes after millions of dollars were spent against it.
“There was, in fact, a game of politics,” said Peters Wednesday, “but we’re past that now. The mission is January First, so we can get this implemented, get this into effect, so that whatever county we’re in, that this law is going into effect, and people are practicing and doing it.”
The legislation in question removes cash bail for criminal suspects awaiting trial. Police and prosecutors said the law would throw open the jail cells Jan. 1 and let everybody walk out; and that, for example, trespassers could hang out on your lawn without a thing police could do about it.