Gordon-Booth Responds to SAFE-T Act Court Decision

PEORIA, Ill. – State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, issued the following statement Tuesday after the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on pretrial release portions of the SAFE-T Act upheld the end of cash bail:

“This decision reflects the countless hours of careful consideration that went into every component of the SAFE-T Act. Responsibly modernizing our pretrial procedures will not only create a fairer process, it will help to make our communities safer by basing release decisions on a public safety assessment instead of a defendant’s access to cash.

“I want to thank state Rep. Justin Slaughter, state Sen. Elgie Sims, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and every member of the General Assembly involved with seeing this process through in a transparent and collaborative manner. Their work helped to make today a reality.

“Public safety is never a static issue, and today’s Illinois Supreme Court decision is just one part of a larger effort to make our communities safer. I will continue to regularly engage first responders, prosecutors, community advocates and area residents as we work together to comprehensively curb violence.”