Manley: Supreme Court’s Bail Reform Ruling Puts Smart Policy Ahead of Political Misinformation

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. — State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, released the following statement Tuesday regarding the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling upholding bail reform provisions in the SAFE-T Act.

“My colleagues and I in the House Public Safety Working Group put thousands of hours into refining and strengthening the SAFE-T Act to arrive at a final product that will make the justice system smarter and make communities safer. We also witnessed a tremendous campaign of misinformation surrounding this law, fueled by partisan special interests that simply wanted to scare people for their own political gain.

“Today, after a thorough review, the Illinois Supreme Court has upheld our work, putting smart policy ahead of political misinformation.

“This law empowers courts to make decisions based on a public safety assessment – not simply the defendant’s access to cash. That’s why domestic violence groups and crime survivor advocates supported this smart approach.

“Today’s ruling is a vindication of the ‘smart on crime’ approach I have prioritized. Now we need to put political games and partisan spin behind us and continue the work of implementing this important reform.”