LaSalle County State’s Attorney Joe Navarro is joining dozens of state’s attorneys from across Illinois going to court over the SAFE-T Act. Navarro says the law violates the Illinois Constitution in more than one way. He says it violates the single subject rule under which the legislature isn’t allowed to write laws covering multiple topics in one bill. And he says the state’s constitution tells judges how to handle bail.
The plan is for perhaps around 90 lawsuits to be consolidated and to get quick action to keep the cash bail system in place. Many of those lawsuits are being filed this week. A court in Sangamon County could be asked to consolidate them all as soon as tomorrow. Then the judge will be asked to order cash bail to remain unchanged and throw out the law.
While that’s going on, Navarro asks everyone to contact their lawmakers to tell them the change is no good.
Navarro says attempted murder and exposing one’s private parts to children would be no-cash-bail crimes. Offenders would be quickly set free into the community.
This sound bite includes crime descriptions that may be upsetting to some listeners.
Two weeks ago, a man was arrested for allegedly shooting at a police officer during a drug bust. A judge set the man’s bond at $4 million. Navarro says if the SAFE-T Act cash bail change were in effect already, that defendant would likely have been a free man.
You can hear more from Navarro and Sheriff Adam Diss in this news conference recording. Some crime descriptions could be upsetting to some listeners.