The Illinois legislature of Representatives passed a bill spearheaded by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus last Wednesday that would end cash bail.
The Pretrial Fairness Act, which gives Illinois until Jan. 1, 2023 to abolish cash bail, currently awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature. Pritzker has expressed support for the bill in the past. If passed, Illinois will be the first state in the nation to end all cash bail.
Evanston mayoral candidate Sebastian Nalls, 20, said ending cash bail is a step in the right direction.
“This is an issue that hits directly at home for a lot of us,” Nalls said. “And it’s been disproportionately affecting Black and brown members of Illinois and members of the nation as a whole.”
The bill, introduced on Jan. 5 and passed during the closing hours of the lame duck session – the Senate got a revised version at 3 a.m. on the final day and sent it to the House two hours later – was one of the last pieces of legislation to pass the General Assembly before adjournment last week. Supporters say that the 764-page bill sent to the governor will make police more accountable while putting poor defendants on an equal footing with accused criminals who have sufficient cash to bond out of jail. The bill contains dozens of changes to state law beyond the elimination of cash bail in 2023. There would be statewide use-of-force standards, and all police officers would have to be equipped with body cameras by 2025. The state Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board could receive complaints, anonymously or otherwise, conduct investigations and revoke certification for cops who engage in misconduct ranging from excessive use of force to turning off body
Uncertainty is hanging over much of the state’s criminal justice system as prosecutors, police and defense attorneys ponder the consequences of one of the most sweeping pieces of legislation to pass the Illinois General Assembly in years.
Haine
Madison County s senior law enforcement was joined by area police chiefs in a bi-partisan and unanimous condemnation of the bill passed by the Illinois Senate in the early hours of Jan. 13, which seeks to enact controversial police reform provisions.
The Illinois Senate passed House Bill 3653 by a vote of 32 to 23. The criminal justice reform measure originated as House Bill 163. The unanimous message of the Madison County law enforcement community to our legislature and Governor J.B. Pritzker is: this bill cannot become law, but should be paused and reconsidered next session, according to a statement by State s Attorney Tom Haine, Sheriff John Lakin and a group of Madison County police chiefs.
Lawmakers held a hearing on the amendments for House Bill 163 Saturday.
In the lame-duck session, state lawmakers discussed a new controversial criminal justice reform bill put forth by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. This is a big problem and requires a bold response. House bill 163 as now amended is a bold response, said John Rakowski with the Illinois State Bar Association.
The proposed legislation includes ending cash bail, expanding police training on use of force and prohibiting chokeholds. It also requires the maintenance of police misconduct records and the use of special prosecutors in officer-involved deaths. This is a comprehensive, bold, transformative initiative to reform the way we look at criminal justice, violence reduction and police accountability across the state of Illinois, added Illinois Senator Elgie Sims.