State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) issued the following statement in response to the Illinois Supreme Court’s 5-2 decision to uphold the controversial no-cash bail provisions of SAFE-T Act:
Without question, today’s ruling is both a disappointment and a step backwards in terms of protecting victims and their rights. This complete rewriting of our state’s criminal justice system once again follows the Majority Party’s trend of putting criminals above law enforcement and our overall public safety. “Sweeping legislation like this limits judges’ ability to make decisions and exercise necessary discretion based on the facts of the case before them. Our state as a whole will be far less safe once the SAFE-T Act takes full effect.”
State Senator Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) issued the following statement:
“I am disappointed with the partisan Supreme Court’s ruling because the Legislature did indeed infringe upon the rights and responsibilities of the judicial branch of government when they stripped away judges’ abilities to set cash bail. “The Democrat Party has enacted the most radical soft-on-crime policies in the country, and nobody in this state will be immune from the consequences. This pro-criminal brand of justice will put many criminals back on the streets within hours of a serious arrest. Crime victims and Illinois families will continue to feel less safe, and the State of Illinois will continue to grab national headlines for its growing crime rates.”
