McLean County Times

State Rep. Dennis Tipsword (R-Metamora) has voiced his disapproval of the recent decision by the Illinois Supreme Court which upheld the constitutionality of the Pretrial Fairness Act, a provision within the SAFE-T Act aimed at abolishing cash bail. 

This landmark ruling positions Illinois as the first state in the nation to completely eliminate the use of cash bail. Opponents say the cashless bail provision will now extend to serious offenses, including murder and rape.

“This is simply shameful. Illinois has one of the highest murder rates in the country, and criminals are now so emboldened they commit violent crimes in broad daylight with no fear of accountability,” Tipsword said, according to WBMD. “Illinoisans deserve safe communities where they can live, work, and raise their families without fear, not a disastrous system that puts violent offenders back onto our streets within hours of their arrest. We must make it illegal again to be a criminal.” 

The act encountered opposition from a significant majority of Illinois state attorneys. Out of 102 state's attorneys, 100 were against the Act, with 64 of them actively engaging in legal actions to block its implementation.

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 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 in the SAFE-T Act. 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.”

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. Republican leadership in the General Assembly hopes to address these concerns and make amendments before cash bail ends.