HISTORIC

Illinois Will Be the First State to Eliminate Cash Bail After Court Ruling

The provision comes from the SAFE-T Act, which was signed into law last year but was challenged.

A Tuesday Illinois Supreme Court ruling has the state set to become the first in the nation eliminate cash bail. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act, which eliminates cash bail, into law last year but its implementation was halted after being challenged by lawsuits from prosecutors and sheriffs around the state. Tuesday’s 5-2 ruling—along party lines—will put an end to that stoppage, stating that the law should go into effect in September. In a statement, Pritzker said he was “pleased” with the high court’s decision that upheld the constitutionality of SAFE-T and 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,” he said.