As opposition to the so-called SAFE-T Act continues to intensify, four Illinois State’s Attorneys have filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the controversial law that is set to take effect across all 102 counties on January 1, 2023. Two of the state’s attorneys are Republicans and two are Democrats.
State’s Attorneys from northwest suburban McHenry County, southwest suburban Will County, and Grundy and Kankakee Counties in central Illinois have filed lawsuits claiming the SAFE-T Act violates the Illinois Constitution in many ways.
The lawsuits claim the no cash bond element of the legislation violates bail provisions in the Illinois Constitution and the law fails to meet a constitutional requirement that laws be limited to a single subject. The suits also claim the Act violates the separation of powers section of the Illinois Constitution and violates the Constitution’s Victims’ Bill of Rights.
Senator Sue Rezin supports her two local State’s Attorneys’ suits and says they are just a couple of many county prosecutors who have been vocal in their opposition to the SAFE-T Act.
During a speech on Tuesday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) acknowledged he too had concerns over ambiguous sections of the bill, especially portions that deal with pre-trial detention standards and the level of discretion judges have to hold defendants in jail as they await trial.