The Illinois Supreme Court Rules The SAFE-T Act Is Constitutional

Governor JB Pritzker released the following statement on the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on the Pretrial Fairness Act:

“I’m pleased that the Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the SAFE-T Act and the elimination of cash bail. We can now move forward with historic reform to ensure pre-trial detainment is determined by the danger an individual poses to the community instead of by their ability to pay their way out of jail. My thanks to Attorney General Raoul’s office and the many people who worked tirelessly over the last months to defend these important reforms. I look forward to continuing to work with the General Assembly and our many other partners as we transition to a more equitable and just Illinois.”

In the court’s opinion, Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Ann Theis stated that the constitution “does not mandate that monetary bail is the only means to ensure criminal defendants appear for trials or the only means to protect the public.”  The ruling was 5-2.

The law was to take effect this past January 1st and will go into effect September 18th of this year, 60 days after today’s ruling.