South Side Republicans Release Statement on SAFE-T Act Ruling
South Side Republicans Release Statement on SAFE-T Act Ruling (Chicago, IL) — The South Side Republican Organization released a statement regarding yesterday’s ruling by a Kankakee judge who determined that portions of the SAFE-T Act are unconstitutional:
“Yesterday, 21st Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Thomas Cunnington ruled that the Pretrial Fairness Act portion of Illinois’ “SAFE-T Act” violates the Illinois state constitution (Article 1, Section 9, and others). Judge Cunnington upheld other provisions of the Act, including body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers. The South Side Republican Organization welcomes this ruling; our position has been that the police and government accountability measures of the SAFE-T Act are necessary and proper, such as body-worn cameras and changes in how incarcerated Illinois residents are counted on the census, however the Pretrail Fairness provisions are an overreach, vague, and unconstitutional.
“Unfortunately, only 64 of Illinois’ 102 counties will benefit from this ruling, most notably Cook and Lake Counties, which are not covered by this ruling and will be bound by the elimination of cash bail and all provisions of the SAFE-T Act, including those that violate the state constitution. We encourage our neighbors to contact their state representatives and state senators, but more importantly to call the Cook and Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office to find out how Cook and Lake County might be exempted from the unconstitutional portions of this Public Act. We deserve amnesty and protection from unconstitutional government overreach as well. The volunteers, field organizers, and committeepersons of the South Side Republican Organization will continue to monitor how this legislation will be implemented in both Cook and Lake counties and will continue to fulfill our mission to “Fix Where We Live.” We encourage our neighbors to know the law and their rights, and if we can be of any assistance our contact information can be found at www.southsidegop.org.
“Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office: (p) 312.603.1880 (e) statesattorney@cookcountyil.gov
“Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office: (p) 847.377.3000 (e) statesattorney@lakecountyil.gov”
South Side Republicans Release Statement on SAFE-T Act Ruling
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