High court upholds cash-free bail in Illinois, which takes effect in September

By JOHN O’CONNOR
AP Political Writer

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a state law ending cash bail, ordering implementation in mid-September. The ruling overturns a Kankakee County judge’s opinion in December that the law violated the constitution’s provision that  “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties.” Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Ann Theis delivered the court’s opinion, approved 5-2, saying that the constitution “does not mandate that monetary bail is the only means to ensure criminal defendants appear for trials or the only means to protect the public.” The General Assembly dominated by Democrats approved the plan in January 2021 as part of an expansive overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system known as the SAFE-T Act.