Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser has spent the last two weeks working with other state’s attorneys, law enforcement officials and legislators to make changes to the SAFE-T Act before its introduction Jan. 1, 2023.
Mosser, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos and DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin have met twice a week over Zoom with legislators and advocates for the SAFE-T Act, the Illinois Sheriffs Association, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police for negotiations over changes to the act.
The “spirited discussions” maintain the act’s intent to eliminate cash bail, but Mosser said she and other state’s attorneys are asking to look into some provisions, such as the ability to detain people for certain crimes and maintain victims’ rights.
“We are working on language to see if we can come to an agreement on things,” Mosser said, who hopes the changes will be proposed in trailer bills during the fall veto session in the Illinois General Assembly in the middle of November.
“We have been doing a significant amount of work and I can say I feel positive about the changes that were proposed and received,” Mosser said. “I think everyone coming to the table has the best of intentions to eliminate cash bail but to do so not only protecting the rights of the accused but the safety of the victims.”
Mosser said she worries about how under the new law, defendants in serious crimes would not be detained. For instance, someone involved in a motor vehicle accident that results in death who fled the scene or someone who threatened a school would not be able to be detained, she said.
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“I think this was all unintended and when you have a year and a half to pick apart the legislation, you find these things,” Mosser said.
The SAFE-T Act was meant to create a more fair court system and promote police accountability. Proponents say the elimination of cash bail addresses a longstanding problem that keeps poor defendants, mostly people of color, locked up while awaiting trial because they don’t have the means to make bail.
Recently, Kendall County Board members unanimously approved a resolution requesting the General Assembly work with law enforcement to resolve issues with the SAFE-T Act.
Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis and Kendall County Sheriff Dwight Baird joined Will County and McHenry County state’s attorneys in filing suits against the state of Illinois in an effort to change some of the provisions of the act.
The SAFE-T Act also requires every police department to equip its officers with body cameras by 2025, allows people to file anonymous complaints against police and creates a more robust system for decertifying police officers.