Tag: cash bail

Illinois’ SAFE-T Act to Take Effect in January, With Possible Changes

State legislators in Illinois head into the year’s final session with possible changes to a controversial criminal justice law. Supported by Democrat supermajorities in the state General Assembly and signed by recently reelected Gov. J.B Pritzker in February 2021, the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act (SAFE-T Act) is set to take effect on Jan….


The ‘SAFE-T Act’ Is the Epitome of Political Hypocrisy

Commentary Politicians love to come up with clever acronyms that make bad legislation sound like something voters actually want. That’s exactly what they did with the so-called “SAFE-T Act” in Illinois. Based on the title, you might expect that this law would have something to do with keeping people safe, right? Think again. What the…


This Is Not Bail Reform, This Is Insanity

Commentary Last Wednesday, 37-year-old Omar Ursin went to pick up take-out for his family. Witnesses reported that as Ursin was driving down Medera Run Parkway in northeast Harris County, Texas, another car pulled alongside and fired one or more shots into Ursin’s car. When police arrived, they found Ursin had crashed into a tree in…


Determined Judges Could Stop the No-Cash-Bail Madness

Commentary This is an open letter to District Court judges in Harris County, Texas. But honestly, it could apply to any number of judges across the country. Citizens from all walks of life are begging you to close the revolving door at the courthouse! In your zeal to embrace the idea of doing away with…


Illinois Gov. Signs Sweeping Criminal Justice Reform Bill that Abolishes Cash Bail

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday signed a sweeping criminal justice and police reform bill that includes completely ending cash bail in the state, with proponents arguing cash bail unfairly impacts poor defendants, while opponents say it skews the scales of justice in favor of criminals and makes communities less safe. Under the new law,…


Illinois Abolishes Cash Bail in Sweeping Criminal Justice Overhaul

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice and police reform measure into law on Feb. 22 that includes making the state the first in the nation to completely abolish cash bail. Pritzker, a Democrat, said in a statement after signing the bill that “this legislation marks a substantial step toward dismantling the systemic racism…