Report: Democrat State’s Attorney Slams Illinois’s Upcoming No Cash Bail Law – ‘It Will Destroy the State’

A Democrat state’s attorney slammed legislation that will end cash bail in Illinois, claiming it will let hundreds of alleged criminals roam free.

While speaking at a recent event, Will County state’s attorney Jim Glasgow, who is a Democrat, criticized the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, detailing its potentially disastrous consequences. Under the legislation, up to 60 alleged murderers could be set loose in his county, the Center Square reported.

“It will destroy the state of Illinois,” Glasgow stated. “I have 640 people in the Will County jail. All their bonds will be extinguished on Jan. 1, and 60 are charged with murder.”

The SAFE-T act was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) in February 2021 after it passed through both Illinois state chambers and is slated to take effect in January 2023.

Besides ending cash bail in the state, the new law will also limit the use of force that police officers are permitted to use.

As Capitol News Illinois detailed:

If a suspect is attempting to escape, officers are only authorized to use deadly force if that person is likely to harm others and cannot be caught at a later time.

The law also requires police officers to wear body cameras and gives more power to state officials to determine who can become a law enforcement official in the state.

In May, Glasgow slammed another requirement in the SAFE-T Act that would require prosecutors to provide a hearing to suspects within 48 hours of their arrest to determine whether they should remain detained. The Will County state’s attorney noted the constraints it will pose for prosecutors when reviewing evidence for each case.

The SAFE-T Act has also been criticized by Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey, who says he will repeal the legislation if he is elected to office.

“The same so-called reform package makes it harder to charge murder accomplices and allows for anonymous and unsworn complaints to be filed against law enforcement officers,” said Bailey, according to WGN 9.

He slammed Pritzker and Democrat Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot for the increase in violent crime in both Chicago and the state by taking away tools for law enforcement officials to use against criminals.

“Unfortunately, Mayor Lightfoot, Governor J.B. Pritzker and the other elite radicals in our state see our police members as the enemy,” he said.

Bailey recently received an endorsement from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police for his tough-on-crime stance.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.