Pretrial Fairness Act supporters rally in Springfield
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Hundreds gathered in the state capitol Wednesday to rally in support of a portion of the SAFE-T Act.
That portion was the Pretrial Fairness Act, or more precisely, the part of the SAFE-T Act that abolishes cash bail in the state of Illinois beginning Jan. 1, 2023.
Supporters of the PFA gathered during the Fall veto session, calling on lawmakers to keep the legislation as-is, while negotiations continued behind closed doors.
State democrats have said they aren’t planning any major changes to the SAFE-T Act.
If PFA remains unchanged, the act would place the burden on prosecutors to show a defendant poses a real and present threat to safety and is a flight risk, if they want to detain them.
“Your freedom, your life shouldn’t be dependent on your wealth,” said Cassandra Greer-Lee, who says her husband died of COVID-19 while being detained in the Cook County jail. “He didn’t have to die … If this bill would have been implemented in 2020, I believe with my whole heart my husband would still be here.”
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