Ammons Statement Lauds IL Supreme Court Decision Upholding SAFE-T Act

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, responded to Tuesday’s ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court maintaining the constitutionality of the Pre-Trial Fairness Act provision of the SAFE-T Act. 

“I applaud the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of the revolutionary SAFE-T Act, ending cash bail, and the communities across Illinois who will benefit from a smart on crime approach to public safety. 

“My colleagues and I worked tirelessly meeting with community leaders, victims’ advocates, leading experts in crime and criminal justice policy and many other important stakeholders to make sure we got this right and made a real difference in our state. The SAFE-T Act is proof of that hard work, and ending cash bail through the Pre-Trial Fairness Act was a vital piece of our criminal justice reform framework. 

“Victims, communities and their safety should not be dependent on how much money a defendant can post for bail, and now it doesn’t. Judges now have the power to detain people based on a comprehensive and commonsense public safety assessment. This will go far in not only keeping potentially dangerous defendants behind bars but also provide nonviolent offenders the compassion they deserve. 

“I look forward to continuing our mission to make our criminal justice system fairer, smarter and more effective for every Illinoisan.”