Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law changes to a controversial criminal justice overhaul, making good on assurances he made during his successful reelection campaign that the measure would be amended.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law changes to a controversial criminal justice overhaul that will eliminate cash bail beginning Jan. 1, making good on assurances he gave during his successful reelection campaign that the measure would be tweaked.during their final session of the year, while Republicans continued to decry the law as a threat to public safety.
The changes to the law, which were approved with the support of victims’ rights groups and without opposition from groups representing law enforcement and prosecutors, clarify the process for shifting from the cash bail system to one that sets out specific criteria for judges to determine whether defendants should be incarcerated while awaiting trial.
Defendants charged with crimes before Jan. 1 will have the option to remain under the old bail system or be moved to the new system. To ease the burden on the court system, the new measure sets out specific time frames for detention hearings for those shifting to the new system. The measure also seeks to make clear that police can arrest people for misdemeanors such as trespassing that generally require only a ticket, spelling out that arrests can be made if officers believe “the accused poses a threat to the community or any person” or if “criminal activity persists.” An arrest can also be made if the alleged offender has “obvious medical or mental health issues” that pose a risk to their own safety.
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