SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) released the following statement on the Supreme Court ruling on the SAFE-T Act:
“I am disappointed in today’s ruling of the SAFE-T Act. Eliminating cash bail without providing judges with broad discretion to hold dangerous individuals pre-trial will decrease public safety and make it harder for law enforcement to keep violent criminals off the streets and out of our communities.
“The SAFE-T Act was pushed through in the middle of the night with little-to-no transparency or input from key stakeholders. It is an ill-conceived rewrite of our state’s criminal justice system that puts criminals above law-enforcement and public safety. We have already seen police officers and sheriffs leave to find new careers because of the SAFE-T Act. With the ruling today, I fear it will be harder to find individuals to fill those positions and keep our communities safe.
“This is not the outcome we were hoping for today.”
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