METROPOLIS – House Republican Floor Leader State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) issued the following statement regarding the end of cash bail and changes to pre-trial release that began in Illinois today.
“Illinois is the first state in the union to attempt to implement a system of cashless bail on a statewide basis. I was a vocal opponent of the underlying SAFE-T Act that allowed for changes to pre-trial release and the end of cash bail. I believe this change will make our communities less safe and lead to an increase in crime. Judges and State’s Attorneys should have wide ranging discretion as to whether to hold dangerous criminals in county jail pending trial. The SAFE-T Act’s provisions ending cash bail remove this latitude in many instances.
“As I remain concerned for the future of public safety in Illinois, I am committed to working with our law enforcement community to understand the impacts on our system of justice as the weeks and months unfold. I stand ready to work with our law enforcement partners and with my fellow legislators to take legislative action to fix issues that are certain to develop as a result of this policy change.”